Barangay, SK poll preparations to continue – Comelec

MANILA, Philippines —  The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will continue preparing for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections despite the signing of a law postponing the BSKE.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body will only stop the preparation if the Supreme Court (SC) rules on the matter.

Garcia said the law extending the term of incumbent barangay and SK officials needs to be published in a newspaper of general circulation for it to become valid.

“Even after the law is published, the Comelec will still not stop the preparation, because we are certain that a petition will be filed before the SC and we will wait for the decision of the high court,” Garcia said.

Without preempting the high tribunal, Garcia said the SC may possibly issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) stopping the term extension of village officials and resetting the polls to November next year.

He said the Comelec has signed an agreement with the National Printing Office for the printing of official ballots for the BSKE.

Garcia said the newly signed law postponing the December electoral exercise is different from the previous deferment of the BSKE, because it aims to change the term of incumbent officials from three to four years.

If no TRO is issued, Garcia said the Comelec would stop the preparation and resume the voter registration in October for the 2026 BSKE.