THE inclusion of barangay (village) officials in the government’s list of public officials implicated in the drug trade may be a “compelling reason” to postpone anew the village and Sangguniang Kabataan elections scheduled on Oct. 23, the leader Senate said in an interview with reporters on Monday, Aug. 14.

“This time, (we will put as) corresponding obligations (for the) Executive Branch to file, to act on the drug list. If that is the compelling reason to postpone (because there are many included in the) drug list, therefore, make use of the drug list and file cases (so they can be removed from their positions and) administrative cases (can be filed),” Senate President Aquilino Martin L. Pimentel III told reporters yesterday.

The present 17th Congress in its First Regular Session in 2016 had postponed the elections scheduled also in October that year. For the proposed new postponement, Mr. Pimentel said “I will try to put it there,” referring to the government’s anti-drug campaign as basis for the postponement of th epolls.

“Ipo-postpone na nga (We will postpone precisely) because of the inclusion of many in the drug list,” he said, adding that “(our) feeling” is that many of the reelectionist candidates will win because they are “drug-funded.”

To avert the possibility of incumbent barangay officials ending up in a holdover capacity, Mr. Pimentel said Congress will seek a “corresponding action” from the Executive Branch to act on that list.

He suggested as an option setting “a certain date” ending the incumbency of the officials in question.

“But in the meantime, maglagay kami ng (we will establish an) expedited procedure on administrative cases on grave grounds. Number one, inclusion in the drug list. (That’s the best) the best compromise….Pero bigyan naman namin sila ng corresponding burden na kilos din,” the Senate leader said. (But let us give the Executive the corresponding burden to act on those cases.)

Mr. Pimentel explained further: “Ang filing of cases, sa Executive branch. Ipasa na natin sa Executive branch yan (The filing of cases is with the Executive branch. Let us pass that on to the Executive branch)….Therefore, I think, (we should) put value to that drug list, act on that drug list and then the law,…we will describe a procedure na expedited, mabilis. Hindi matagal (that is expedited, fast, not dragging).”

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