Law enacted by Marcos for delaying BSKE implementation
The Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) scheduled for December 2025 has been postponed to the first Monday of November 2026, as per Republic Act (RA) No. 12232. The postponement aims to allow the government to focus on the first-ever parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. signed RA 12232 on August 13, 2025, which also extends the terms of both barangay and SK officials from three years to four years. Barangay officials may still serve up to three consecutive terms, totaling up to 12 years in the same position, whereas the maximum terms for SK officials are reduced to a maximum of one term under the new law.
Following the postponed election, the regular BSKE will be held every four years thereafter. It's important to note that a previous attempt to delay the BSKE in 2022 was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, which emphasized that postponement must be based on sufficiently important and compelling reasons beyond superficial justifications such as election fatigue or cost savings.
However, a youth group has filed a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the postponement enacted under RA 12232, indicating ongoing legal contention regarding this delay.
Additionally, incumbent barangay officials on their third consecutive term cannot run for the same position in the November 2026 BSKE. This new rule, part of RA 12232, aims to promote fresh leadership in barangay governance.
The new law does not affect the scheduled BSKE in November 2026, which will now follow a four-year cycle, as opposed to the previous three-year cycle. Voluntary renunciation of office does not interrupt an elective official's full term of service. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has been given more focus to prepare for the first-ever parliamentary elections in the BARMM, as per President Marcos' approval.
The postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in the Philippines, scheduled for December 2025 and rescheduled to the first Monday of November 2026, is now a subject of ongoing legal contention, following a petition filed by a youth group challenging the postponement enacted under Republic Act (RA) 12232. In the upcoming November 2026 BSKE, incumbent barangay officials who have served three consecutive terms cannot run for the same position, as per the new rules established under RA 12232, aiming to promote fresh leadership in barangay governance.
