Nais ng isang batikang election lawyer na ipagpaliban ng Korte Suprema ang Barangay, Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) na nakatakdang idaos sa 2023.
Nitong Lunes, Oktubre 17, naghain ng petisyon sa Supreme Court si Atty. Romulo Macalintal kung saan kinukuwestiyon ang legalidad ng Republic Act No. 11935--ang batas na nagpapaliban ng eleksyon ngayong Disyembre5, 2022 at itinakda sa huling Lunes ng Oktubre 2023.
Sa kanyang 27 pahinang petisyon, nanawagan ito sa Kongreso na hindi dapat ipagpaliban ang 2022 BSK elections o palawigin ang termino ng mga opisyal ng barangay. Maisasakatuparan lang aniya ang term of office sa pamamagitan ng isang batas.
“The power to postpone elections is within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) after it has determined that serious causes, as provided under Section 5 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC), warrant such postponement,” katwiran ni Macalintal.
Agusan del Sur, nilindol ng magnitude 5.3
“Thus, by enacting a law postponing a scheduled barangay elections, Congress is in effect executing said provision of the OEC or has overstepped its constitutional boundaries and assumed a function that is reserved to Comelec,” anang abogado.
Sa ilalim aniya ng Omnibus Election Code, maaari lang maiurong ang eleksyon kung nagkaroon ng seryosong dahilan katulad ng karahasan, terorismo, pagkasira ng election paraphernalias o records,force majeure, at iba pang kahalintulad na dahilan.
“What would prevent Congress from creating a law postponing the elections for other national and local elective positions based on the flimsiest of reasons? Likewise, what would prevent Congress now from continuously postponing barangay elections at its pleasure, thereby making the term of office of barangay officials indefinite or ever changing depending on the congressional/political mood?” pagtatanong pa nito.
