Comelec seeks 3 November holiday for BSKE

The Commission on Elections has asked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare 3 November a holiday as part of preparations for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

“Ang November 3 po dapat ideklara rin na walang pasok,” Comelec Chair George Garcia said in a radio interview.

Garcia said the commission had sent a letter to the President requesting the holiday declaration. The elections are scheduled for Monday, 2 November.

He said declaring the following day a holiday would allow voters to participate in the polls without having to rush back to work after traveling for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on 1 and 2 November, respectively.

Bills pending in Congress seek to extend the terms of barangay and SK officials from four to five years while reducing the maximum number of consecutive terms from three to two.

“Subalit kaakibat po ng pagpi-fix ng termino na ‘yan, mula apat na taon sa kasalukuyan papuntang limang taon na panukala po nila, ay kinakailangan magreset raw po ang ating halalan bilang consequence ‘nung pagpi-fix ng termino barangay at SK officials,” Garcia said.

The measures would move this year’s elections to the second week of November 2028.

Garcia said the 2 November polls would proceed unless a law postponing them was enacted.

“‘Yun pong date na November 2 ‘yan po ay nakafix sa batas,” he said.

“Batas po ang nagsabi niyan and, therefore, walang kapangyarihan na si COMELEC na baguhin ‘yung date kailan isasagawa ang BSKE,” Garcia added.