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‘Republic of the Philippines

BOUuse OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quejon City, Metro Manila

Fifteenth Congress
2N Regular Session

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HOUSE BILL NO. ogbe

Introduced by:
Representatives Guillermo A. Romarate, Jr., Francisco T. Matugas,
Philip A. Pichay, Florencio C. Garay,
Evelyn P. Mellana, Maria Valentina G. Plaza,
Ma. Angelica M. Amante-Matba and Jose S. Aquino II

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to postpone the next Barangay and Sangguniang
Kabataan Elections slated on October 2013 by amending sections 1
and 2 of RA No. 9340 otherwise known as “An Act Amending Republic
Act No. 9164, Resetting the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan
Elections, and for other purposes.”

As scheduled, the next Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan
Elections shall be held five months after the 2013 Senatorial and Local
Elections. As in the past Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan
Elections, this is going to be another extremely divisive exercise at the
most inappropriate time. It cannot be denied that elections whether
at the National, Local or Barangay levels foster animosity, enmity and
endless bickering between the candidates and their followers. Often,
elections in many towns and provinces become violent, bloody and
chaotic. The nation cannot afford that it will again descend into
turmoil and heated political contest barely five months after it is to be
submerged in one. Indubitably, the nation needs more than five
months to lick its wounds.



Staging two elections in one year distracts the government from
its development undertakings and poverty alleviation efforts. This is
utterly counter-productive as one election after another will hurl the
nation back to mudslinging, political bickering and violent
confrontations at a time when it is in the process already of
regrouping and mending the damage wrought upon by a divisive
political exercise.

Just as significant, the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan
Elections will entail a sizable amount of expenditure on the part of the
government and will likely hog a large chunk of the new
government's budget for development and poverty alleviation. The
government is expected to spend more than Three Billion Pesos for the
next Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections. This is too much
to set aside at a time when the limited resources of the government
are not even enough to anchor all the critical macroeconomic
initiatives.

In this context, approval of this bill is earnestly sought.

, JR. FRANCISCO T. MATUGAS
15! Dist., Surigao del Norte

h (Mah
PHILI ICHAY FLORENCIO C, any

i Dist., Surigao Del Sur 2N0 Dist., Surigao del Sur

duly Nile

EVELYN/P. MELLANA,
2N0 Dis{l, Agusan del Sur

‘2ND Dist., Surigao di

MA. ANGELICA M. AMANTE-MATBA JOSE S. AQUINO II
2ND Dist., Agusan del\Norte: 1ST Dist., Agusan del Norte


Republic of the Philippines

Bouse oF REPRESENTATIVES
Queson City, Metro Manila

Fifteenth Congress

2N Regular Session

5862
HOUSE BILLNO. ___

Introduced by:
Representatives Guillermo A. Romarate, Jr., Francisco T. Matugas,
Philip A. Pichay, Florencio C. Garay,
Evelyn P. Mellana, Maria Valentina G. Plaza,
Ma. Angelica M. Amante-Matba and Jose S. Aquino II

AN ACT
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9340, RESETTING THE 2010
SYNCHRONIZED BARANGAY AND SANGGUNIANG  KABATAAN
ELECTIONS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Section 1 of Republic Act No. 9340 is hereby
amended to read as follows:

“SECTION 1. Date of Election. - There shall be synchronized

barangay and sangguniang kabataan elections which shall

be held on [July 15, 2002] THE SECOND MONDAY OF MAY 2015

[. Subsequent synchronized barangay and sangguniang

kabataan elections shall be held on the last Monday of


October 2007] and every (3 ) years after.”

“SUBJECT TO THE LAW ON AUTOMATION, ALL BARANGAY

AND SANGGUNIANG KABATAAN ELECTIONS SHALL BE FULLY

AUTOMATED.”

SEC. 2. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 9340 is hereby amended
to read as follows:

“SECTION 4. EXTENSION OF TERMS/Assumption of Office. —
The term of office of the barangay and sangguniang
kabataan officials elected under this Act shall commence [on
August 15, 2002] AT NOON OF JULY 1, next following their
elections. [The term of office of the barangay and
sangguniang kabataan officials elected in the October 2007
election and subsequent elections shall commence at noon of

November 30 next following their elections.]"

Sec. 3. Repealing Clause. - All laws, decrees, executive orders,
and rules and regulations or parts thereof inconsistent with the

provisions of this Act hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Sec. 4. Separability Clause. - If, for any reason, any section or
provision of this Act is held unconstitutional or invalid, the other
sections or provision shall not be affected and hereby remain in full

force and effect.


Sec. 5. Effectivity Clause. — this Act shall take effect fifteen (15)
days after its complete publication in at least two (2) national

newspapers of general circulation.

Approved,