By el Amigo
MANILA — The country’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections scheduled for November 2026 are headed for postponement after the Senate approved a bill seeking to extend the terms of incumbent local officials.
Senate Bill No. 2387, which calls for a five-year term for elected barangay and SK officials, hurdled its third and final reading on Monday, September 14.
The measure received 13 affirmative votes, while five senators voted against it.
Opposing the bill were Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Senators Risa Hontiveros, Bam Aquino, Kiko Pangilinan, and Joel Villanueva.
Sponsored by Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, the proposal also seeks to impose a two-term limit on barangay and SK officials.
Under the Senate version, the elections originally set for November 2, 2026 would be rescheduled to the second Monday of November 2028.
The House of Representatives has also passed its own version of the proposed election postponement and term extension.
The Senate and House measures will next have to be reconciled through a bicameral conference committee, which will work out the differences between the two versions.
The final measure must then be approved by both chambers before it can be transmitted to the President for signing.
Until the legislative process is completed and the measure becomes law, the proposed 2028 election schedule remains subject to the outcome of the bicameral proceedings and presidential action.
ia/xf
