THE PHILIPPINE Supreme Court (SC) has voided the law postponing this year’s village and youth council elections for being illegal.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the tribunal said there was no compelling reason to delay the vote.
The High Court also set village and youth council elections on every first Monday of December starting in 2025.
“The court found that there was no legitimate government interest or objective to support the legislative measure and that the law unconstitutionally exceeds the bounds of Congress’ power to legislate,” it said, citing the decision written by Associate Justice and former Election Commissioner Antonio T. Kho, Jr.
A copy of the decision was yet to be uploaded on the court’s website.
The tribunal said it recognizes the “legal practicality and necessity” of moving the elections to the last Monday of October this year, but said Filipinos should be afforded “genuine periodic elections.”
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. signed a law in October setting village elections, which were originally scheduled for December last year, on the last Monday of October 2023 and every three years thereafter.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) would not change its preparations for the elections, Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia told reporters in a Viber message.
“The decision is more addressed to the political departments of our government for future guidance,” he said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez