Solicitor General ready to defend postponement of barangay elections — Palace

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is prepared to defend before the Supreme Court the law postponing the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to 2028, Malacañang said Thursday.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the OSG was awaiting a copy of the petition filed by election lawyer Romulo Macalintal challenging Republic Act (RA) 12326, which fixes the term of office for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials to five years and postpones the BSKE to November 2028.

RA 12326 was signed into law by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Sept. 24.

Castro said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Senate had already coordinated with the government lawyers.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the Office of the President, Senate, House of Representatives, and Comelec to comment on Macalintal's petition and his plea for a temporary restraining order (TRO) or status quo ante order.

Macalintal filed the petition for certiorari and prohibition on Sept. 28, asking the High Court to stop the implementation of RA 12326.

He argued that the postponement infringes on the people's right to suffrage by effectively extending the terms of incumbent barangay and SK officials.

Asked about the argument, Castro said the Palace would leave the legal defense to the OSG.

“Mas nanaisin po natin na manggagaling ang posisyon na ito mula sa Office of the Solicitor General (We would rather have this position come from the Office of the Solicitor General),” she said in a Palace briefing.

She said the President and lawmakers consider the postponement appropriate but noted that the administration would respect the Supreme Court's ruling.

“Sa paningin ng Pangulo at ng mga mambabatas, ito ang nararapat (In the view of the President and the lawmakers, this is what is appropriate),” she said.

“Pero kung ano man ang magiging desisyon ng Supreme Court, susundin naman po (But whatever the decision of the Supreme Court may be, we will follow it).”

Castro said the OSG would defend the positions of the Executive, Comelec, and Senate before the High Court.

-Philippine News Agency