THE House of Representatives on TUESDAY APPROVED ON THIRD AND final reading House Bill 4673, which seeks to defer the December 2022 barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK or Youth Council) elections.

These elections had been scheduled to be held on Dec. 5, 2022.

House Bill 4673 seeks to amend Republic Act 9164, as amended, to defer the barangay and SK polls to the first Monday of December 2023. Subsequent synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections shall be held on the first Monday of December 2026 and every three years thereafter.

Under the bill, those who will be elected in December 2023 will assume office at noon on Jan. 1, 2024.

The bill hurdled third reading, with over 200 lawmakers voting in the affirmative.

Several other lawmakers voted in the negative while some abstained.

House Bill 4673 substituted 43 bills.

During the House committeelevel deliberation on Aug. 16, 2022, on the proposed postponement, Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia said postponing the elections means voter registration will have to be reopened.

“We will be registering new voters so that will entail costs,” the official said.