Voter registration for BSKE to proceed in July — Comelec

The voter registration for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) in December will proceed as scheduled in July, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia made the clarification following the House of Representatives' approval on third and final reading of a bill seeking to extend the term of barangay and SK officials from three years to six years.

"Whether it will be passed or not, we will continue with the voter registration," Garcia told reporters in a virtual interview.

The voter registration is scheduled from 1 to 11 July, and the filing of certificates of candidacy will be from 1 to 7 October. The campaign period, meanwhile, is set in November.

The House of Representatives on 9 June passed on third and final reading House Bill (HB) 11287. The measure was approved with 153 affirmative votes, four negative votes, and one abstention.

HB 11287 particularly proposes amendments to Sections 42 and 43 of the Local Government Code of 1991, which currently prescribe three-year terms and define how many consecutive terms officials may serve.

The bill likewise aims to synchronize BSKE starting in 2029, in which they would be held every six years on the second Monday of May.

However, Garcia said the proposed legislation will not hinder the preparations of the Comelec for the BSKE.

"We will not let these developments in the Congress to hamper our preparations," he added.

Garcia noted they need to start with the procurement of some of the requirements for the elections, including indelible inks and ballot boxes, because that might take two to three months, depending on whether there will be a failure of bidding.

"We don't want that to happen, so we are preparing as early as now," he added.

The next BSKE, set for 1 December, will be fully manual. It has a P11 billion budget allocated for the whole conduct of the polls.

The BSKE voting will be from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., but the Comelec will again set early voting hours for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women.