Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS,

First Regular Session

House Bill No.__ 1614

Introduced by Representative Guillermo A. Romarate, Jr.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

This bill seeks to postpone the barangay and sangguniang
kabataan elections slated on October 2010 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.” This bill was filed in the 14h
Congress and is now re-filed in toto.

As scheduled, the next barangay and sangguniang kabataan
elections shall be held five months after the 2010 national and local
elections. This is a disaster waiting to happen. It cannot be denied
that national and local elections 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 so
submerged to one. Indubitably, the nation needs more than five
months to lick its wounds.

Five months after the 2010 elections, the incoming 15" Congress
will still be defining its legislative agenda while the executive has yet
to fill all the seats of govermance. Another election a few months after
will again distract the government from its development undertakings
and poverty alleviation efforts. This is utterly counter-productive as it
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 election 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 Comelec has pegged the figure at a
staggering Three Billion Pesos. This is too much to set aside for a
fledgling government.

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

ee

UILLERMO A. ROMARATE, JR.

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Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City, Metro Manila
FIFTEENTH CONGRESS

First Regular Session

House Bill No. 1614

Introduced by Representative Guillermo A. Romarate, Jr.

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 LAST MONDAY OF OCTOBER
2012[. 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 NOVEMBER 30, 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,