(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte said it was up to Congress to determine whether barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections would be postponed or not.
“Sabi ko kay Bong (Go), ‘Sabihin mo sa kanila, Congress, it’s their choice,” Duterte said in a speech in Davao on Wednesday.
The President noted, however, that the drug situation in the country remains “very alive and vicious.”
“So kung manalo ‘yang mga barangay captains na-backed up ng drug money, eh panibagong away ‘yan. Panibagong patayan na naman ‘yan,” he said.
“Ako, hindi ko sinasabi na walang election o may election. But I will never, never until the end of my term, to the last day, allow a government official to use his power or position as a platform to engage in criminality, especially drugs,” Duterte added.
The barangay and SK elections were supposed to take place in October 2016.
They, were, however postponed to October 2017, and then to May this year.
There are at least two bills calling for the postponement of the barangay and SK polls pending in the House of Representatives.
Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimentel said the polls should be moved to October 2018.
Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali for his part said that these could be held simultaneously with the May 2019 elections.