MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Monday said proposed Senate Bill 2387 seeks to fix, and not merely extend or postpone, the terms of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials from four to five years to promote greater stability and continuity in barangay governance.
Escudero said that establishing a fixed five-year term breaks the cycle of repeated congressional postponements and prevents local elections from repeatedly overlapping with national elections.
"My bill does not extend. My bill fixes," Escudero said during a public hearing conducted by the Committee on Local Government on Monday.
"The natural effect will, of course, be to postpone the upcoming election, but the subject matter of this bill is fixing the term,” he added.
Under the measure, the transition would count existing terms to ensure fairness, preventing incumbent officials from benefiting from a term extension.
The bill also seeks to enable local leaders to focus on long-term community development, disaster response, and peace and order without the disruptions of frequent elections.
