SC tells Palace, Congress, Comelec to comment on petition vs. BSKE postponement

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The Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday directed the Office of the President, Congress, and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to comment on a petition challenging the postponement of the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).

It gave the respondents a non-extendible period of five calendar days from notice.

Over the weekend, election Lawyer Romulo Macalintal filed a petition seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) or a status quo ante order directing the Office of the President, through the Executive Secretary, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and Comelec to refrain from implementing Republic Act (RA) No. 12326.

RA 12326 moves the next regular BSKE to the second Monday of November 2028, with succeeding elections to be held every five years thereafter.

He also asked the SC to declare the law inoperative, invalid, and/or unconstitutional in so far as it pertains to the postponement of the BSKE.

For his part, Macalintal welcomed the development, saying it is a clear indication that the SC saw substantial merits in his petition.

“Considering the strict 5 days given to the respondents to submit their comments, I am highly confident that a favorable resolution will be issued by our Supreme Court in the very near future,” he said in a statement.

“The public need not worry about any disruption or delay in our electoral processes. Should the Supreme Court decide in favor of our petition, the Comelec fully possesses the administrative power and operational capability to move the election to another appropriate date close to November 2026, or as may be ordered by the Court,” he added. –NB, GMA News