By Paulo Loreto Lim

Despite the impending postponement of barangay elections, which are scheduled for October 23, Commission on Elections (Comelec) for Negros Occidental Provincial Election Supervisor, Atty. Jessie Suarez, said the voter registration deadline is still April 29.
“The commission has no plans of extending the registration period,” he noted.
Suarez said his agency is currently monitoring the situation regarding the proposed postponement, saying he expects Congress to take up the issue when they resume session, beginning on May 2.
Last month, it was revealed President Rodrigo Duterte is seeking to postpone barangay elections this year and, instead of voting, barangay officials will be appointed by the president himself, with proper consultations from city or town mayors.
While Bacolod Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya previously expressed his preference for the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to serve as the leading body in choosing officials for barangays, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. believes he should have the authority to appoint barangay leaders in the province.
According to Comelec data, over 2 million applications to register have been received between November of 2016 and last month./WDJ