Legal expert: postponement of barangay election illegal

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO  – A prominent election lawyer in the country yesterday reiterated  that barangay elections cannot be legally postponed  due clear provision of the Constitution.

Atty. Romulo Macalintal in an interview said that it's not within the authority of the Congress to postpone an election nor  to extend the term of office of the barangay officials.

He added Congress under the Constitution is only authorized to fix their term of office.

Macalintal further explained that there is no provision in the constitution authorizing Congress to postpone barangay  election.

This according to him  is  already been fixed by laws which Congress had already previously enacted.

"Iyung sinasabi nila na kulang ang pondo para sa barangay elections, napag aralan na iyan ng mga mambabatas natin na bumalangkas ng ating saligang batas at alam na nila na noon pa man ay mangyayari itong ganitong sitwasyon," Macalintal told Sun Star Pampanga.

In a previous report, Macalintal stressed that any amendment must conform with the provision of the constitution. Any deviation from such provision will make such amendment unconstitutional.”
"Isa pa kailangan matuloy ang barangay elections dahil marami na sa barangay officials ang hindi nagtatrabaho. Kailangan ang mandato ng tao para sila ay manatili pa sa kanilang mga posisyon," he stated.

Atty. Macalintal was the legal counsel of  Candaba Mayor-elect Rene Maglanque in a case of election protest filed by Reynaldo "Busog" Sagum who garnered the second highest number of votes last midterm elections.

The election protest was filed before the Regional Trial Court in the City of San Fernando.