Barangay, SK polls up for delay; preparations go on out of caution

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) initially scheduled for Dec. 1 will be moved to the first Monday of November next year under a law that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is scheduled to sign.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said Malacañang had informed the poll body of the enactment ceremony on August 12.

“Wala namang sinasabi ang Palasyo o Malacañang na ive-veto ng ating pangulo yung mismong panukalang batas. Siguro naman kung talagang hindi matutuloy yung batas siguro magpaparating na sa Comelec,” Garcia told reporters in a chance interview on Friday, Aug. 1 — the first day of voter registration for the BSKE.

[Translation: Malacañang hasn’t said that the President will veto the proposed law. If the law really wasn’t going to push through, they likely would have already informed the Comelec.]

Garcia inspected sites for the voter registration, which will run until Aug. 10.

Despite the expected signing of the postponement law, Garcia said preparations for the elections will continue. This includes the filing of candidacies in the third week of August, and the scheduled printing of ballots in the first week of November.

He cited the possibility of legal challenges before the Supreme Court, as what happened in the past.

“Tatandaan ng lahat katulad ng nangyari nung nakaraan meron at meron pa ring pumunta sa Korte Suprema upang kwestyunin ang legalidad ng batas na iyan,” Gracia said.

“Paano kung bigla kami i-TRO [temporary restraining order] tapos hindi naghahanda ang Comelec?” he added.

[Translation: Everyone should remember that, just like before, someone can always go to the Supreme Court to question the legality of that law. What if we suddenly get a TRO and the Comelec isn't making preparations?]

Garcia said printed ballots would not go to waste as these will not bear specific election dates and can still be used if the elections are pushed to 2026.