President Noynoy Aquino has expressed gratitude to his allies in Congress for blocking a measure that sought to delay the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections this October.

The President met with administration lawmakers last Tuesday and insisted that the October 25 elections should be held as scheduled.

“I appealed to members of the ruling coalition in both chambers to support us in our drive to continue what has been scheduled by pertinent law and that is the conduct of the barangay elections and SK elections by October this year,” he said in a press conference in the Palace last Wednesday. “That was our primary appeal that they acceded to and we thank them for this,” he added.

The President said a renewal of mandate of barangay officials was necessary in governance in communities.

He said barangay officials are the “primary instrumentality in carrying out any and all programs of the State” such as the program on disaster risk reduction and management, as well as the campaign against dengue in communities.

“Without the renewed mandate, the support of the populace essential in attaining success of these objectives will be severely put to the test,” he said.

A House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms earlier voted to indefinitely suspend discussions on several bills seeking to delay barangay and SK elections. Some lawmakers claimed there was no time to pass a law postponing the barangay and SK polls this October.

The President previously endorsed the holding of the barangay elections this October, but supported moves to abolish the youth council.

He also backed a measure, being prepared by the Department of Interior and Local Government, seeking the election of a single youth representative in the barangay council this year. The same bill, certified as urgent by the President, also seeks the synchronization of the national, local, and barangay elections in 2013.

The scheduled October 25 barangay election will go on as scheduled after President Aquino prevailed upon his allies in the House of Representatives to vote down bills and resolutions seeking the postponement of the barangay elections.

Sen. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., chairman of the Senate local governments committee, said that the scheduled Oct. 25 barangay election will go on as scheduled after President Aquino prevailed upon his allies in the House of Representatives to vote down bills and resolutions seeking the postponement of the barangay elections.

Marcos issued the statement following a meeting with Aquino in Malacañang last Tuesday morning.

Formal approval by the Lower House of the bills seeking to continue with the barangay and Sangguiniang Kabataan (SK) elections would make the Senate’s bills moot ‘’and we will no longer conduct hearings because there is no possibility of it being passed,’’ Marcos said.

Although the President had stated that he wanted the barangay elections to continue, the Marcos committee held two committee hearings on the same issue with Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo testifying that the poll body was preparing for the barangay and SK elections and that it was opting for a manual system of voting.

Asked if it was his first time to visit Malacanang since 1986, Marcos replied: ‘’no, no. I have been there many times.’’

On the atmosphere surrounding their meeting last Tuesday morning, Marcos said the meeting ‘’very business-like and we got on ..we had a long discussion on the issue of barangay postponement.’’

‘’It is his view that it (barangay elections) should be continued,’’ he said, adding that the 50-year-old President would be prevailing upon members of the majority in the (Lower) House to vote down the bills that are proposing for a postponement,’’ he said.

President Aquino wanted the SK organization either modified or abolished but Marcos insisted that the voice of the youth must be heard through the SK organization.