THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) said a further delay in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) beyond the second quarter of 2027 could disrupt preparations for the 2028 polls.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said the poll body could still handle a reset to around May 2027, but pushing the elections further would leave too little time for preparations for the 2028 polls.
‘If it goes beyond May 2027, it appears that we really can no longer do it because preparations for the 2028 elections may already be compromised,’ Garcia said.
Comelec hopes the Congress can decide by September whether the BSKE scheduled for November 2 will proceed.
Garcia said lawmakers are expected to hold hearings this month on several measures seeking to move the elections, giving the poll body little room to wait as preparations continue.
‘If they finish the hearings in August, we hope that by around September there will already be some news for us,’ he said.
He clarified that the Comelec was not setting a deadline for Congress, but was flagging the point at which another postponement would begin to affect preparations for the next national elections.
‘If the elections really will not push through, we hope it will be very clear by September,’ Garcia said.
For now, Comelec is pushing ahead with preparations for the polls and is already about 90 percent to 95 percent ready.
Garcia said suspending preparations while the postponement bills remain pending would be impractical since most materials and equipment could still be used even if the polls are moved.
Some costs, however, would be difficult to recover, particularly overtime expenses for Comelec personnel and supplies with limited shelf lives.
Ballots already printed for the November 2 elections may still be used under a new Comelec resolution if the polls are reset, while other election forms and materials may likewise be carried over.
Garcia said a one-year postponement could also require at least P3 billion in additional funding as voter registration would have to reopen and the number of registered voters continues to increase.