FACT CHECK: Bill postponing 2026 barangay, SK polls not yet a law as of September 22

In a September 18 statement, the Commission on Elections said the November 2026 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections will proceed as there is yet no law for its postponement

AT A GLANCE

• The claim that the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) have been postponed and that the filing of candidacy has been canceled is false.
• Comelec Chairman George Erwin confirmed that the BSKE will proceed as scheduled on November 2, unless a new law is enacted to postpone it.
• The proposed bill to move the elections to 2028 is still under review by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and has not yet been signed into law.

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Claim: The bill postponing the November 2 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) became a law on September 21, prompting the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to announce the suspension of the filing of certificates of candidacy.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: A Facebook account named “Rolando Hagos,” which currently has over 20,000 followers, has made multiple posts bearing the false claim.

His most recent post says: “Comelec, kinansel na ang filing of candidacy ng mga tatakbo para sa barangay election.”

(The Comelec has cancelled the filing of certificates of candidacy for those running in the barangay elections.)

He also made other posts earlier claiming, “September 21 ganap ng batas ang postponement ng BSKE. November 2028 na.”

(The postponement of the BSKE became law on September 21. It is now set for November 2028.)

Both posts have received a total of 2,000 reactions, more than 600 comments, and less than 100 shares, as of writing.

The facts: In a September 18 statement posted on Facebook, Comelec Chairman George Erwin said the BSKE will push through on November 2, unless a new law postponing the election will be enacted.

In his statement, the chair explained: “Tuloy na tuloy ang (BSKE) eleksyon hanggang sa araw na ‘to, sapagkat ‘yun po ang batas. ‘Yan po ang ikalat n’yo. ‘Yan po ay hindi fake news; totoo po ‘yan. Wala pa tayong batas. Batas ang ating hahanapin.”

(The election will definitely push through as scheduled, because that is what the law says. Please spread the word. That is not fake news; it is the truth. We do not have a new law yet; the law is what we look for.)

The chair also noted that unless such a law is passed, the filing of certificates of candidacy scheduled from September 28 to October 5 will push through. The commission also said that it will continue its preparation for the BSKE, in line with the provisions of Republic Act No. 12232 setting the date of elections on November 2.

The misleading posts about the postponement of the BSKE circulated after the Senate approved on September 14 a bill fixing the term of barangay and SK officials to five years, effectively moving the polls to the second Monday of November starting in 2028.

The proposed measure is now in the hands of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who may sign the bill into law or veto it. It may also lapse into law if he does not act on the measure within 30 days of receiving it.

No official government announcement or credible media report shows that the bill has already been signed into law. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro also said Marcos will review the provisions of the bill before making a decision.

BSKE postponement: This is not the first time proposals have been made to postpone the BSKE. In 2022, the elections originally scheduled for December were moved to October 2023, under Republic Act No. 11935. Following this, Republic Act No. 12232 was signed into law in August 2025 pushing the December 2025 BSKE to November 2026.

The current proposal, which aims to move the scheduled November 2026 elections to 2028, has drawn opposition from election watchdog groups. 

Debunked: Rappler has previously debunked other false claims related to earlier and upcoming elections:

• FACT CHECK: Comelec debunks claim of ACMs altering votes in Lanao del Sur
• FACT CHECK: Photos of Sara Duterte visiting MILF camp ahead of 2026 polls are fake
• FACT CHECK: News of 39 soldiers held by MILF is from 2023, not recent

– Jerome Santos/Rappler.com

John Jerome Santos is a research and data volunteer writer at Rappler. He is a fourth year Bachelor of Science in Accountancy student at the Dr. Gloria Lacson Foundation Colleges of Cabanatuan City.

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