PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to proposals to again postpone the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) if it would help save funds amid the current economic crisis driven by the war in the Middle East, Malacañang said.
Speaking to reporters in Iloilo City on Friday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos would look into the proposal to determine if it would benefit the country.
“The president and the government are open to all suggestions that will benefit the nation,” Castro said during a press conference.
The Palace official cited lawmakers’ statements that the possible government savings could reach P16 billion, should Marcos suspend the 2026 BSKE.
Castro, however, said that the proposal must undergo careful evaluation.
“So, if there is any bill or measure that will be studied by the president. As long as it benefits the country, the president is open to that,” she said.
Deputy Speaker and Bacolod City Rep. Albee Benitez earlier called for the six-month postponement of the BSKE due to the crisis brought by the war in the Middle East.
Benitez said the government would do well to spend the allocated budget in the local polls on a more urgent necessity, such as helping the sectors affected by the skyrocketing prices of fuel.
In August last year, Marcos signed into law Republic Act 12232, which postpones the BSKE from Dec. 1, 2025, to the first Monday of November 2026.
The law also extends the term of office for all elected barangay and SK officials to four years.
The law allows barangay officials to serve up to three consecutive terms, while SK officials are limited to one term.
Marcos earlier justified the postponement, citing concerns raised by the Commission on Elections about handling multiple major elections and highlighting the importance of the first-ever Bangsamoro Parliament elections, scheduled ahead of the BSKE.
He said ensuring the success of the Bangsamoro polls is critical to sustaining the peace process in Mindanao.
“If that fails... it would be a major failure in the peace process,” the president said.
The 2020 BSKE was first moved to December 2022 and later to October 2023 to allow budget realignment for pandemic recovery.
