The House of Representatives on Monday approved on second reading a bill that would prolong from three years to six years the term of office of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials.

House Bill 11287, if enacted into law, will reschedule this year’s Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to the second Monday of May 2029 and every six years thereafter.

Under the proposed measure, barangay officials could serve for two consecutive terms, while SK officials would be limited to a single term.

The Senate, meanwhile, passed a similar bill on final reading earlier this month. However, the Senate version sets the terms of both barangay officials and SK members to four years, allowing them to serve for up to three consecutive terms in the same position. 

The Senate bill also mandates that the BSKE be held on the first Monday of October 2027 and every four years thereafter.

Seasoned election lawyer Romulo Macalintal expressed strong disapproval of the bill, describing it as "unconstitutional, deceptive, and misleading," and arguing that it violates "the rights of voters to elect their own barangay officials."

The BSKE has been postponed four times, from 2016 to 2023, with the first three postponements occurring under the Duterte administration.

HB 11287's sponsor, Quezon City Representative Ma. Victoria Co-Pilar, argued that extending the term of barangay and SK officials to six years would prevent the recurrence of these postponements in the future.

Co-Pilar lamented that the current three-year term is insufficient for officials to effectively address grassroots concerns and implement projects.

"By fixing the term of barangay officials, we believe—and we firmly believe—that this length of time will be sufficient for them to improve and transform into better leaders," Co-Pilar stated during the plenary debate.

As of October 2022, there are 42,022 barangays in the country, each with one chairman and seven SK officials.