COMELEC welcomes SC ruling upholding 5-year term law for barangay and SK official

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) officially welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of Republic Act No. 12326, effectively solidifying the transition to five-year terms for local grassroots leaders.

The high court’s ruling dismissed the petition filed in Macalintal v. Office of the President, et al. (G.R. No. E-08557), removing any lingering regulatory uncertainty ahead of future national and local polls.

In its landmark decision, the Supreme Court clarified that R.A. No. 12326 is fundamentally a term-fixing law, not an election postponement measure.

The primary objective of the legislation is to increase the term of Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials to five (5) years while reducing the maximum allowable consecutive terms to two.

Because the law focuses on structural term-setting rather than arbitrary deferral, the court ruled that the strict guidelines established in the landmark 2023 Macalintal case do not apply.

Furthermore, the judiciary maintained that the constitutional right to vote does not dictate a specific electoral frequency or rigid term boundaries for local leaders.

Expressing deep gratitude for the high court's prompt resolution, COMELEC Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia emphasized the legal finality of the decision.

“Although not unanimous, the Supreme Court decision is already a jurisprudence forming part of the law of the land,” Chairman Garcia stated. “Our deepest appreciation to the highest court for resolving promptly the controversy and clearing any doubt as to the legality of the law.”

With this definitive ruling, COMELEC confirmed that the next synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) will take place with complete certainty on the second Monday of November 2028.

The resolution of this constitutional challenge eliminates structural ambiguity, allowing the Commission to systematically organize its long-term operations.

COMELEC will now fully channel its administrative focus and preparation strategies toward managing the upcoming May 2028 Presidential Elections.