BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez has joined 62 other members of the House of Representatives in filing a bill seeking to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) scheduled on November 2, 2026, to the last Monday of November 2028, citing rising election costs, inflation, and other compelling government concerns.
House Bill No. 10591 proposes amendments to Republic Act No. 9164, as amended, citing what its authors described as “compelling governmental interests” that justify delaying the nationwide village and youth elections.
In the bill’s explanatory note, the lawmakers acknowledged that while Congress has previously postponed barangay and SK elections, the Supreme Court has ruled that such postponements must satisfy strict constitutional standards.
The measure cited the High Court’s ruling in Macalintal v. Commission on Elections, which declared unconstitutional the postponement of the December 2022 BSKE for lack of sufficient constitutional justification.
The Supreme Court held that postponing elections should remain an exception and must be supported by important, substantial, or compelling government reasons.
Unlike previous proposals, the bill’s authors said the measure is not based on political convenience, fiscal savings, election fatigue, or extending the terms of incumbent officials.
Instead, they pointed to the continuing international energy emergency brought about by instability in the Middle East, which has caused volatility in global fuel prices and significantly increased the projected cost of holding nationwide elections.
According to the lawmakers, soaring fuel prices have raised the cost of transporting ballots and election materials, deploying teachers and election personnel, conducting security operations, and providing communications, electricity, and other logistical requirements, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
The bill also cited inflation, which has driven up the cost of transportation, utilities, food, accommodation, and other services essential to election operations.
The measure noted that Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia had earlier estimated the cost of conducting the 2026 BSKE at around P19 billion, an amount the authors said may no longer be sufficient under current economic conditions.
Aside from economic factors, the proposed legislation cited the impact of major earthquakes that damaged thousands of public school classrooms and other infrastructure across the country.
The lawmakers said the damage could affect the safe and orderly conduct of elections since public schools serve as the primary polling centers.
The bill also stated that postponing the BSKE would allow the Commission on Elections to concentrate its resources on preparations for the first regular Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election scheduled on September 14, 2026, which lawmakers described as a historic milestone in the implementation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
The proposed measure emphasized that the postponement would not grant incumbent barangay and SK officials a new electoral mandate, saying they would continue serving only under the statutory holdover principle until their successors are elected and qualified.
The bill’s authors maintained that the proposal complies with the constitutional standards set by the Supreme Court by relying on objective and verifiable conditions, preserving the people’s right to vote, and setting a definite election date in November 2028./PN
