Three bills seeking to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) scheduled on November 2, 2026 reached first reading in the House of Representatives during plenary session on Wednesday, August 6.
The measures are House Bill (HB) No. 10583, filed by Senior Deputy Speaker and South Cotabato 2nd District Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez and four other lawmakers; HB No. 10584, authored by Basilan lone District Rep. Ustadz Yusop Alano; and HB No. 10591, jointly filed by dozens of lawmakers from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
HB Nos. 10584 and 10591 propose moving the BSKE to the last Monday of November 2028, while HB No. 10583seeks to hold the elections on the last Monday of May 2027.
All three bills cite the Supreme Court ruling in Macalintal vs. Comelec, which allows election postponement only for “important, substantial, or compelling reasons.”
The measures cite the international energy crisis and rising fuel prices as extraordinary circumstances that have sharply increased the cost of election logistics.
HB No. 10583 said the proposal is not meant to extend incumbents’ terms, ease election fatigue, or realign Comelec funds, but to address unforeseen financial and operational challenges brought about by fuel price volatility.
HB Nos. 10584 and 10591 similarly warned that soaring fuel costs, inflation, and the country’s dependence on imported petroleum have made previous election cost estimates unreliable, risking delays and logistical shortfalls if the polls proceed as scheduled.
The three measures have been referred to the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms for further deliberation.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.