House panel OKs extension of village, youth council officers’ term limits

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

A HOUSE of Representatives committee on Tuesday approved a bill extending the term limits of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials to six years from the current three to insulate local leaders from patronage politics.

Approved by the House local government panel, the unnumbered substitute bill provided for a maximum of two consecutive terms for barangay officials, capping their tenure at 12 years; while restricting SK leaders to a single term in office.

The extended office terms could help provide stability for local governance, while insulating barangay leaders from political pressures by higher-ranking city and provincial officials, said Oriental Mindoro Rep. Arnan C. Panaligan, who headed the bill’s technical working group.

“The committee’s goal is to provide continuity, stability, and to insulate barangay officials from politicking,” he told BusinessWorld in an interview in Filipino.

Parochial politics in the Philippines often revolve around the transactional relationship between higher-ranking leaders and barangay officials, with the dynamic often leading to local policies or programs that could help them secure re-election.

“The tendency is that after local elections, they (barangay officials) go to mayors or governors to strengthen their foothold. They seek protection and submit to their will because they only have three years. They want to be re-elected too,” Mr. Panaligan said.

The proposed law also seeks to defer the elections of barangay and SK officials to the second Monday of May 2029, according to a copy of the measure obtained by BusinessWorld. Incumbent local officials elected in 2023 would remain in office up until their successors have been elected.

The deferment could help save taxpayer money and deal with logistical challenges due to the awkward timing of barangay elections, Mr. Panaligan told congressmen during the hearing.

Congress allotted P15 billion for the conduct of the 2025 midterm elections, while pegging an additional P11.6 billion to fund the conduct of the barangay and SK elections in December of that same year.

The bill’s Senate counterpart has been referred to its plenary in November, with Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos urging the chamber to approve the proposal.