COME August 14, the bill postponing the December 2025 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) and setting the term for barangay and youth officials is expected to lapse into law.
This comes after President Bongbong Marcos Jr. changed his mind and opted not to sign the bill passed by Congress, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
"May information tayo na mukhang wala ng formal (signing) ceremony. The bill will just lapse into law by August 14, so automatically magiging batas na yung postponement ng BSKE," said Comelec Chairman George Garcia in an interview.
(We have information that there will likely be no formal signing ceremony. The bill will simply lapse into law by August 14, so the postponement of the BSKE will automatically become law.)
"The bill will lapse into law on August 14. Based on the computation, it's August 14," he added.
This was in contrast to an earlier pronouncement by Garcia that Marcos was set to sign the bill into law on August 12.
The change of plans, the poll chief said, does not directly affect the commission, as they will still push through with their preparations for the BSKE.
"Kung may signing, okay yun. Kung maglapse into law, wala din problema," Garcia said.
*If it gets signed, that’s good. If it lapses into law, that’s not a problem either.)
"Basta ang Comelec, tuloy tuloy lang kami sa paghahanda, kasi nga may magkukwestiyon niyan sa Supreme Court," he added.
(As for the Comelec, we will continue with our preparations because, as expected, someone will question it before the Supreme Court. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)