House set probe on election delays
THE House of Representatives will conduct its own investigation on the delays in the
deliveries of poll materials, which led to the postponement of the Barangay and Sangguinang
Kabataan elections in certain areas.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has given the go-signal to the committee on suffrage and
electoral reforms to conduct a hearing on November 9 at 9:30 a.m., a day after Congress
resumes session, to find out what happened in the recently-held local polls, according to
Cavite Representative Elpidio Barzaga Jr., chairman of the committee.
Among those to be invited are officials of the Comelec headed by chairman Jose Melo,
officials of the National Printing Office, and the Department of Interior and Local Government.
More than 2,400 barangays or 5.85 percent of the total number of more than 42,000
barangays were not able to push through with the village polls last Monday after reported
delays of election materials.
To recall, some members of the House of Representatives proposed that the barangay polls
be moved to a later date, but this proposal was later shelved by allies of President Benigno
Aquino III. (PIA)
