NAMFREL eyes filing petition for certiorari vs BSKE postponement

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The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) on Sunday said it is planning to file a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court challenging the postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

NAMFREL Secretary General Eric Alvia disclosed the group’s plans as he called the law “unconstitutional.”

“Humihingi lang ako ng clearance sa council namin kung maghahain kami ng Petition for Certiorari sa Supreme Court, pero sigurado na may hakbang kaming gagawin para tutulan ito dahil alam namin na ang batas na ito ay unconstitutional,” Alvia told Super Radyo dzBB.

(I’m just seeking clearance from our council on whether we will file a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court. But we are certain that we will take steps to oppose this because we know that this law is unconstitutional.)

“Kaya namin tinututulan ang batas na ito, ito ay humahadlang sa karapatan natin para bumoto at mamili ng ating mga pinuno. Itong halalan na 'to, pang-siyam na bases na itong pinostpone, simula 1994,” he added.

(We are opposing this law because it hampers our right to vote and choose our leaders. This election has already been postponed for the ninth time since 1994.)

NAMFREL has expressed dismay over the postponement of the BSKE and said that it will support and join efforts to question its constitutionality.

"A government genuinely intent on addressing the crises it cites — fiscal pressure, the need for efficient and accountable frontline service delivery — should be seeking a renewed and fresh mandate for barangay leadership, not extending the tenure of officials without a single vote cast in their favor," NAMFREL said.

"NAMFREL's position on this point has not changed: economic hardship is, if anything, all the more reason to ensure accountable, freshly-mandated leadership at the level of government closest to the people — not less," it added.

On Friday, President Ferdinand Marcos signed into law a bill postponing the BSKE to 2028 and extending the term of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials from four to five years.

Marcos said the move will allow officials to use the postponement "to further improve service delivery, complete programs that have already been initiated, and focus more intently on the needs of every community, family, and the youth."

Alvia pointed out that the term extension and the postponement of the elections should be treated as separate issues.

“In the guise of postponing the elections, ang ginawa nila, itinulak nila ang pagpapahaba nila ang termino ng mga barangay at SK official,” Alvia said. “Dapat hindi arbitrary 'yung pagpili ng haba ng termino.”

(Under the guise of postponing the elections, what they did was push for the extension of the terms of barangay and SK officials. The length of the term should not be chosen arbitrarily.)

The Commission on Elections had said that it already spent P8 billion of its P19-billion budget for the BSKE.

The poll body added that some election supplies, including indelible ink, may go unused if the BSKE is postponed. —RF, GMA News