Comelec wants 2025 BSKE moved to 2026

Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia. | Senate PRIB file photo / Bibo Nueva España

MANILA, Philippines — In view of a Supreme Court (SC) decision, ruling that the next Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) should take place in 2025, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said that it set to file an appeal, aiming to reschedule it to 2026.

To recall, the high court in its decision declared as unconstitutional the law postponing BSKE from its initial schedule of Dec. 5, 2022, to the last Monday of October 2023, but recognized the legal practicality and necessity to proceed with the elections on the last Monday of October this year.

However, the SC further ruled that succeeding BSK elections shall be held on the first Monday of December 2025 and every three years thereafter, pursuant to Republic Act 11462.

This means that two elections will be held in 2025, the BSKE and the national and local elections.

Due to this, Comelec chair George Garcia said that the Comelec en banc decided to file a motion for reconsideration (MR)  to move the 2025 BSKE to 2026.

“The en banc decided to file the MR because we believed that the two elections (NLE and BSKE) should not be held in the same year,” said Garcia.

“Likewise, in as much as we are promoting the regularity of elections, the term of office of BSKE elected officials must likewise be definite and regular. Three years if it is three years just like the local officials,” he added.

Garcia said the MR will be filed upon the Comelec receipt of the SC decision.

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