Registration for this year's Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) has been moved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from July to late October this year.
The voter registration for the December 1 BSKE was previously set from July 1 to 11.
But the Comelec said 11 days was not enough, and that it might confuse voters in the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) set on October 13.
"Surely, this voter registration from July 1 to 11 will not push through. It will happen in the last week of October after the BPE and will last until July 2026," Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said.
“Voter registration cannot continue because 11 days are not enough. The Bangsamoro (voters) might get confused if voter registration will be conducted and they won't be able to vote in the BPE. The registration is for BSKE, we will just continue voter registration after the BPE, last week of October,” he added.
Garcia said the Comelec will continue to prepare for the BSKE, until President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signs a law postponing it.
"What if we stop our preparations but the law isn't signed or someone goes to the Supreme Court and gets a temporary restraining order (TRO)? We will be the ones facing the problem," he said.
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives ratified last week the bicameral conference committee report on the bill extending the term of incumbent barangay and SK officials.
Under the proposed law, the term of office of all elected barangay and SK officials shall be extended to four years.
At present, barangay and SK officials serve a three-year term.