Polls freeze draws fire: SC petition eyed

The next barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections will now be held in 2028, putting the country’s grassroots polls in the same election year as the presidential and national races, which has prompted civic groups to question the democratic implications of keeping incumbent local officials in office for at least two more years.

The timing has become the concern of the Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG), which said the postponement should not be viewed merely as an administrative adjustment to the election calendar.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said he will file a petition with the Supreme Court questioning the reset tomorrow.

Macalintal said his camp is preparing the petition, arguing that the postponement would result in an unreasonable extension of the terms of the incumbent barangay and SK officials.

For CenPEG chairperson Roland Simbulan, “Elections are not administrative exercises that can simply be moved whenever politically convenient. They are the means by which citizens periodically renew — or withdraw — the mandate of those who govern them.”

CenPEG said extending the terms of incumbent barangay and SK officials until 2028 delays voters’ opportunity to decide whether those officials should remain in office. More significantly, it said the existing barangay political configuration will remain in place as national politicians and parties prepare for the 2028 elections.

“The administration stands to gain politically from this postponement,” Simbulan said, arguing that keeping incumbent barangay officials in place could give the administration additional time to consolidate relationships and political machinery at the grassroots ahead of the 2028 presidential and national elections.

The August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM) likewise opposed the postponement, calling it “undemocratic” and saying repeated delays in local elections should not become a normal feature of the country’s political system.

“From whatever standpoint you view this recent postponement again of the local barangay elections recently signed by Marcos Jr., it remains undemocratic and against the spirit of democracy. You don’t just postpone elections to suit your political plans,” ATOM said

The 2028 reset is the third time Marcos has postponed the barangay elections since he assumed office in 2022.

The first came in October 2022, when Marcos signed RA 11935, moving the 5 December 2022 BSKE to October 2023. The Supreme Court later declared that law unconstitutional.

Marcos subsequently signed RA 12232 in August 2025, moving the next BSKE from December 2025 to November 2026 and establishing a four-year term for barangay and SK officials.

RA 12326 now replaces that four-year cycle with a five-year term and moves the next elections to November 2028. The law also provides that incumbent barangay officials already serving their final consecutive term will not be eligible to seek the same position in 2028, with the extension treated as a completion of one term for term-limit purposes.

ATOM pointed to a similar history during the Duterte administration, saying the former president also signed three measures postponing barangay elections.

“Marcos and Duterte normalized this with three postponements each during their respective terms. But let it be put on record that this is not normal in a democracy,” the group said.

It said repeated postponements could be particularly problematic when they occur close to crucial national elections because incumbent administrations could benefit from having the existing local political structure remain in place.

Namfrel opposes deferment too

The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) added its dismay over the postponement.

“The law was made public only on 25 September, a few days before the scheduled filing of certificates of candidacy on 28 September. Namfrel had, on two separate occasions this year — on 17 April and 5 August 2026 — publicly and unequivocally called on Congress and the Executive to reject exactly this outcome,” Namfrel said.

It added, “That these repeated warnings went unheeded is deeply troubling. That the law was rushed to enactment just ahead of the filing period is more troubling still.”

On Friday, Marcos said the postponement would allow officials to use the postponement “to improve further service delivery, complete programs that have already been initiated, and focus more intently on the needs of every community, family, and the youth.”

The election watchdog, though, said that it “respectfully but firmly rejects this reasoning.”

Namfrel said a government genuinely intent on addressing the crises it cites — fiscal pressure, the need for efficient and accountable frontline service delivery — should seek a renewed and fresh mandate for barangay leadership, not extend the tenure of officials without a single vote cast in their favor.