Crossing partylines, opposition and administration congressmen have intensified calls to defer the holding of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections set for October 25.

At least ten bills proposing the postponement of the polls have already been filed before the House of Representatives, with authors optimistic of approval.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has also reportedly assured barangay and SK officials in Quezon City that he will push for the cancellation of the scheduled elections.

However, Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, a strong candidate for chairman of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, said time constraints could prove to be a major stumbling block for approval of the measure.

Barzaga also said that the Senate may not be as eager as the Lower House in pursuing its version of the bill.

Recalling a previous Senate stand on the same issue three years ago, Barzaga, a member of the majority bloc in the Lower House, aired strong apprehension that the bill filed by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri before the Senate will get strong backing from its members.

However, Camarines Sur Rep. Salvio Fortuno, a proponent of one of the bills filed, said there are a number of strong arguments that could convince senators to fast-track approval of the Zubiri proposal.

Fortuno said at least 40 congressmen have already aired support for the filed bills because they acknowledge the need for the government to address its precarious financial situation.

The Bicolano lawmaker said poll expenses to be incurred during the barangay and SK elections could further aggravate the fiscal problem facing the Aquino administration.

Aside from Fortuno, also filing similar bills for barangay election postponements are Reps. Luis Villafuerte (NPC, Camarines Sur); Arnulfo Go (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, Sultan Kudarat) and Nicanor Briones (AGAP partylist).

Opposition stalwarts Minority Leader Edcel Lagman and Senior Deputy Minority Leader Danilo Suarez also proposed the cancellation of the October polls by filing separate bills.

Suarez said members of the minority bloc have recently reached a consensus to support postponement to give way for preparations for the election of delegates to the constitutional convention.