Office of the President, lawmakers ordered to comment on plea vs. barangay elections postponement

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

In a statement, the tribunal gave respondents a non-extendible period of five calendar days to file a comment on the petition for certiorari and prohibition filed by election lawyer Romulo Macalintal to challenge the constitutionality of Republic Act (RA) 12326.

The law, signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sept. 24, set the term of barangay officials and Sangguniang Kabataan members at five years and postponed the November 2026 BSKE to November 2028.

The petitioner claimed the new law violates the electorate’s right to vote by postponing the 2026 BSKE under the guise of fixing the officials’ term of office.

Macalintal claimed that RA 12326 effectively allows incumbent barangay and SK officials to “hold over” their positions for three years.

-Philippine News Agency