THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will ask the Supreme Court (SC) to move the December 2025 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to October 2026.
In a press conference, Comelec chairman George Garcia said the Comelec en banc has decided to seek for the assistance of the Solicitor General for the filing of a motion for reconsideration before the SC within the week challenging its decision that the BSKE next to October 2023 is on the first Monday of December 2025.
“Not on any other issue but only on the issue as to the conduct of the election sabay sa national and local elections. Sumasang-ayon kami sa lahat ng sinabi ng Korte Suprema, ‘yung guidelines, pag-postpone,” he said.
(Not on any other issue but only on the issue as to the conduct of the election together with the national and local elections. We agree with everything the Supreme Court said, the guidelines, postponement.)
“Kung bibilangin ang three years ng October 2023, so dapat 2026. Yun ang contention ng Commission on Elections. Sa aming palagay, we have to respect ‘yung three years and equally, the term of office, in the same manner na gusto nating maging regular ang election kaya dapat predictable din at alam mo rin kung ilang taon ang term of office ng barangay and SK officials,” he added.
(If we count the three years from October 2023, it should be 2026. That is the contention of the Commission on Elections. In our opinion, we have to respect the three years and equally, the term of office, in the same manner that we want the election to be regular so it should also be predictable and you also know how many years the term of office of the barangay and SK officials are.)
In June, the Supreme Court declared Republic Act 11935, or the law that postponed the holding of the BSKE from its initial schedule of December 5, 2022 to the last Monday of October 2023 unconstitutional.
It recognized, however, the legal practicality and necessity of proceeding with the conduct of the BSKE on the last Monday of October 2023, pursuant to the operative fact doctrine.
Based on the law, the succeeding BSKE shall be conducted on the first Monday of December 2025 and every three years thereafter.
Garcia also raised funding concerns, as the December 2025 BSKE elections, if not be moved, may affect their 2024 budget, which may result in the agency asking for a supplemental budget.
He noted that they are eyeing the conduct of an automated BSKE election in the coming years. (SunStar Philippines)