"A welcome development," said Commission on Elections Spokesman James Jimenez on the Senate's rejection of the Lower House's proposal to postpone the holding of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections from October 29, 2007 to May 2009.

"We welcome our Senators' decision not to defer the Barangay Sangguniang Kabataan polls yet again. We hope this latest development in the Senate would put to rest all talk that the scheduled October 29 polls will not push through" he said.

The COMELEC, Jimenez said, "is all primed and ready for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections."

"In fact, Chairman Benjamin S. Abalos has already met with all Regional Election Directors nationwide to discuss the conduct of the polls, during a whole-day dialogue last Friday" Jimenez added.

He said the election period for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls will start on September 29 and will end on November 13, 2007 while the campaign period for village and youth bets will run from October 19 to 27, 2007.

He added that candidates can start filing their Certificates of Candidacies (COCs) starting September 29 until October 18, 2007 in the offices of their respective Election Officers nationwide.