Will Congress postpone BSKE? Comelec wants to know ‘asap’

National

THE filing of certificates of candidacy for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) is just around the corner. But whether or not the BSKE will push through as scheduled on Nov. 2 remains uncertain.

With this, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has asked Congress to decide by the second week of September on whether the BSKE will really push through.

“If it will be possible to decide on it early – if the BSKE will push through or not, we would like to know at least by the second week of September. This is to remove the worries of those who will file their certificates of candidacy, including the personnel in the field,” Garcia said on Monday, Aug. 25, per a report by Philstar.

The Comelec has set the filing of certificates of candidacy for the BSKE from Sept. 28 to Oct. 5.

Garcia said there is a need for an immediate decision on the issue as some election materials have expiration.

Teachers will also have to go through training if the BSKE will push through.

The Senate committee on local government has advanced a bill seeking to postpone the BSKE and fix the terms of barangay officials and SK members to five years instead of the current four years.

Sen. Francis Escudero led the Senate local government hearing on the measure, which was approved for the crafting of a committee report, paving the way for plenary debate.

In his Senate Bill 2387, Escudero seeks to reset the BSKE from the scheduled first Monday of November 2026 to November 2028 and every five years thereafter.(MyTVCebu)