The Commission on Elections is asking Congress to settle the fate of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections before the filing of candidacies begins on September 28, warning that election preparations are already moving while the political decision remains unresolved.
The polls are currently set for November 2, but lawmakers are considering proposals to postpone the elections and extend the terms of incumbent barangay and SK officials. One Senate committee proposal seeks to move the polls all the way to November 2028, while setting five-year terms for local village officials.
For Comelec, the issue is no longer just political. It is operational. The poll body said it is continuing preparations for the 2026 elections because, unless the law changes, it must proceed as scheduled. So far, Comelec has already spent around ₱8 billion out of its ₱19.57-billion budget for the polls.
That puts Congress on the clock. A late decision could mean wasted public funds, disrupted election timelines, and confusion among candidates, voters, and local officials. If lawmakers want to postpone the elections, Comelec is making clear that the decision has to come before the machinery goes too far to stop.
The bigger question now is whether Filipinos will be voting for new barangay and SK leaders this November, or whether incumbents will get another extension by law. Until Congress acts, the election calendar stays alive — and the uncertainty keeps growing.
Image from PNA