QUEZON CITY—Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) and 63 members of the House of Representatives have filed House Bill No. 10591 seeking to postpone the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections from Nov. 2, 2026, to the last Monday of November 2028.
Benitez filed the measure at the House of Representatives on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 4.
The bill also schedules succeeding synchronized barangay and SK elections every three years and the assumption of office of elected officials at noon on Dec. 30 following the election.
Incumbent barangay and SK officials would remain in office under the holdover principle until their successors are elected and qualified.
The measure, however, states that the holdover period would not constitute a new mandate or an extension of their elected term.
Benitez said the proposal does not seek to cancel the elections and is not based on “election fatigue,” one of the reasons previously rejected by the Supreme Court when it struck down the law postponing the December 2022 BSKE.
“This does not mean that we are cancelling the elections,” Benitez said.
He said the bill was drafted to meet the constitutional standards laid down by the Supreme Court in Macalintal v. Commission on Elections, which declared Republic Act No. 11935 unconstitutional for postponing the 2022 elections without sufficiently compelling grounds.
The Supreme Court ruled that an election postponement must be supported by important, substantial or compelling government interests, use objective and reasonable standards, and remain limited to what the emergency requires.
ENERGY CRISIS CITED
Benitez said one of the grounds for the proposed postponement is the volatility of global and domestic energy markets, which has increased the projected cost of conducting the nationwide elections.
He said the Commission on Elections’ original funding assumptions no longer fully reflect higher fuel, transportation, electricity, food, accommodation and logistical expenses.
The bill’s explanatory note states that the nationwide deployment of ballots, election materials, teachers, security personnel and equipment would be particularly affected by rising fuel and transportation costs.
It cites an estimated P19-billion requirement for the elections and argues that continuing price volatility could affect procurement, the delivery of election materials and support for electoral boards.
EARTHQUAKE-DAMAGED SCHOOLS
Benitez also cited the condition of schools and public infrastructure damaged by earthquakes in Cebu and parts of Mindanao.
He said around 3.2 million students were affected in Cebu, Davao Oriental, Soccsksargen and surrounding areas.
Public schools serve as the primary voting centers during Philippine elections.
The bill argues that damaged or unsafe classrooms would need to be inspected, repaired or replaced with alternative voting sites that are accessible to voters, including senior citizens and persons with disabilities.
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northern Cebu in September 2025, causing widespread structural damage and disruption to public services, while a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the southern Philippines in June 2026 and damaged buildings and infrastructure in General Santos City and nearby provinces.
BARMM ELECTIONS
Another consideration raised by Benitez is the first regular Bangsamoro parliamentary election scheduled for Sept. 14, only several weeks before the Nov. 2 BSKE.
He said conducting two major elections in close succession would place added pressure on Comelec personnel, teachers, security forces, local governments and logistical agencies.
The bill argues that moving the BSKE would allow election authorities to focus their personnel and resources on the historic transition from the interim Bangsamoro government to an elected parliament.
Comelec has already issued resolutions and voter-registration rules for the Nov. 2, 2026 BSKE, meaning preparations remain underway unless Congress passes the postponement bill and it is signed into law.
Under House Bill No. 10591, the postponement would apply only to the 2026 elections and should not be treated as a precedent for future postponements without compelling reasons.
The bill must pass the House and Senate and be signed by the President before the scheduled election date can legally be changed.*
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