Postpone 2013 barangay election

“Elections, whether national, local or barangay, prove to be conflict-ridden among the populace especially coming from the heels of the very divisive May 10, 2010 polls. During these trying times for our country, division is the last thing that we need,” - Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the postponement of the barangay poll will also help unite the country.

Mindanao lawmakers are strongly pushing for the resetting of the October 2013 barangay election to the last Monday of October 2015 not only to reduce electoral expense but also to give barangay officials ample time to complete their projects.

In seeking for the postponement of the barangay poll under House Bill 5654, Rodriguez noted that elections in the Philippines are always a costly exercise, both for the candidate and the government.
He said in the May 2010 national elections, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) entered into a contract for the automation of the counting of the votes for the amount of P7.2 billion, just for the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines alone.