WHILE both Houses of Congress have approved their respective measures aiming to postpone the November 2 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reiterated that they will not be halting their preparations.
In a radio interview, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said they cannot risk halting their preparations with no new law postponing the November 2 polls being passed.
"If we were to stop preparing, what if the President doesn't sign the bill, or exercises a veto, or what if the Supreme Court issues a TRO? That is why we cannot afford to halt preparations," said Garcia.
"Otherwise, we might not be prepared for the November 2 election should any of those scenarios actually occur," he added.
And even if a law is actually passed, the poll chief said they are still expecting that it will be questioned before the Supreme Court (SC).
He said they won't be surprised if a law postponing the BSKE is brought before the High Tribunal.
"Even though it is crystal clear that the BSKE could be postponed—since the House of Representatives appears to have adopted the Senate version—there is still a process to follow," said Garcia.
"It has to be forwarded to the Palace, and it depends on whether the President signs it. There is also a waiting period before it becomes law, and after that, the matter could be brought before the Supreme Court," he added.
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives adopted the Senate’s version of the measure postponing the BSKE to November 2028.
The move paves the way for its direct transmission to Malacañang for President Bongbong Marcos' signature. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)
