BSKE Postponement, 5-Year Term Extension Bills Filed in Congress

MANILA, Philippines — A year after postponing the 2025 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, bills have again been filed in both chambers of Congress, this time to postpone the BSKE this November by two years, to 2028. Simultaneously, proposals are seeking to extend the term of office from four years to five years. Senator Francis Escudero filed a measure seeking to extend the term of office of BSK members from four years to five, saying the longer tenure would provide local leaders more time to implement community programs and improve public service delivery. In filing Senate Bill 2387 yesterday, Escudero seeks to amend Republic Act 12232, or the law that sets a four-year term for barangay officials and SK members. The House of Representatives filed a similar bill to again postpone the Nov. 2 barangay and SK elections to 2028, with about 60 lawmakers invoking what they dubbed as “energy emergency” and cited the continued US-Iran war in the Middle East that drove fuel prices up and making elections every three years even more costly. If SB 2387 is approved, the elected barangay and SK officials would serve a five-year term, while retaining existing limits on consecutive terms. Barangay officials would remain prohibited from serving more than three consecutive terms in the same position, while SK officials would continue to be limited to one term. “Barangay governments, as the frontline public service arm of the government, play critical roles in implementing government programs, maintaining peace and order, resolving disputes, responding to disasters and calamities, and delivering basic services at the community level,” Escudero said in the bill’s explanatory note. He added that the frequent holding of elections could disrupt the implementation of long-term community projects and shift the focus of local officials toward electoral concerns. “Conducting the elections without an adequate and realistically calibrated appropriation may impair procurement, reduce logistical coverage, delay the deployment of election materials and compromise the compensation and support required by Electoral Boards,” the lawmakers said. They said postponing electoral exercises can be justified by public emergencies like the energy crisis, noting that their proposal “responds to supervening conditions” that can raise questions whether holding such polls could still be “safe” and come out with “credible” results. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it is prepared to conduct the poll on Nov.2. – Marc Jayson Cayabyab, Delon Porcalla Source: Philstar Nation