Supreme Court asked to nullify law postponing BSKE 2026

National

THE Supreme Court (SC) was asked to strike down the law moving the November 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to November 2028.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal filed a petition for certiorari and prohibition on Monday, Sept. 28 challenging the constitutionality of Republic Act (RA) 12326, naming the Office of the President, Senate, House of Representatives and Commission on Elections as respondents, a report by Philstar said.

Macalintal asked the High Court to isseu an immediate status quo ante order, temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction to stop the law's implementation.

"I thought 'forever' was only in love. Turns out 'forever' also exists in barangay election postponements," Macalintal told reporters.

"That is why we will fight this, because this postponement is far too long. And our right to vote was taken away from us by our lawmakers," he added.

Macalintal said the law postponing this year’s BSKE infringes on the electorate's right of suffrage under the guise of "fixing" the term of barangay officials at five years.

RA 12326 postponed the elections by another two years to November 2028, resulting in a cumulative three-year delay from the original December 2025 schedule.

Macalintal said the repeated postponement deprives voters of their right to vote for an unreasonably long period.

According to the veteran lawyer, the delay is a "very clear grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of Congress."(MyTVCebu)