Comelec: BSKE to proceed as scheduled

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that, as far as he is concerned, the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) will push through as scheduled.

Garcia made the statement as the poll body continues preparing for other election-related activities this year.

“Of course, there will be an S.K. Election. There are no laws that will change here on 2 November,” Garcia said.

The poll body maintained that the BSKE remains officially scheduled for 2 November 2026. Despite this, lawmakers and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have aired calls to postpone the elections.

Some lawmakers are pushing to reset the BSKE to late 2027 to avoid overlapping with other election cycles, while other proposals suggest shorter delays to address national emergencies or geopolitical events.

On the other hand, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said he is open to studying legislative measures to postpone the polls if doing so would generate significant government savings or benefit the nation. However, no executive order has been issued and no law has been enacted to delay the elections.

Garcia has clarified that until Congress passes a law formally postponing the polls, the Comelec will continue its preparations and implement the election schedule as mandated.

Election watchdog groups, including National Movement for Free Elections, have also expressed strong opposition to further delays, arguing that holding elections on time is necessary to uphold constitutional mandates.