The barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections will not be held this year after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed into law a measure extending the terms of office of incumbent barangay and SK officials by five years.

The measure allows incumbent officials to remain in office and continue serving their communities for the extended term.

Republic Act 12326, titled An Act Fixing the Term of Office of Barangay Officials and Members of the Sangguniang Kabataan to Five (5) Years, amended RA 12232 which set the term of office of barangay and SK officials.

RA 12326 provides that all elected barangay and SK officials shall serve a five-year term.

Under this section, no elective barangay official shall serve more than two consecutive terms in the same position, and no elective SK official shall serve more than one term in the same position.

Section 2 of RA 12232 was also amended, setting the next regular barangay and SK elections on the second Monday of November 2028 and every five years thereafter.

Gaps to be filled

A new Section 4-A was inserted for filling vacancies in SK membership. It stated that a vacancy in the SK membership shall be filled by appointment by the city or municipal mayor with jurisdiction over the barangay of the SK concerned, from among persons who meet the qualifications provided under Section 10 of RA 10742, or the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015.

The measure also added a new Section 4-B to institutionalize continuing training and capacity-building programs for barangay officials and SK members to strengthen their capacity to perform their duties and responsibilities.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government will spearhead the training in coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Commission on Elections, state universities and colleges, and other appropriate government agencies.

Section 5 of RA 12232 was also amended to state: “Considering the extension of their terms by two years, incumbent elective barangay officials shall be regarded as having completed one term in their respective positions.”

This makes incumbent officials serving their last term in the same position ineligible to run for the same position in the November 2028 barangay and SK elections.