BSKE postponement 'unconstitutional'; PH has enough aid funds —Sen. Gatchalian

Postponing the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) once again would be “unconstitutional” since the country still has a budget to support its aid programs amid the fuel crisis, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Sunday.

“Unang-una, unconstitutional na ‘yan. At pangalawa, dahil pangalawang suspension na ’yan, 'tas pangatlo, maraming tao umaasa na pumili ng kanilang local leader,” Gatchalian told Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.  

(First of all, that is unconstitutional. Second, because that is already the second suspension. And third, many people are hoping to choose their local leader.)

“Kasi 'yung barangay election is only P8 to P9 billion. Ngayon, meron pa tayong P230 bilyon na puwedeng gastusin. So in other words, hindi naman kulang ang pera,” added Gatchalian, who is also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance.

(The BSKE is only P8 to P9 billion. Right now, we still have P230 billion for our aid program. So in other words, we are not short on money.)

He further said that the Supreme Court had already decided on the date of the BSKE.

"Sinabi na ng Korte Suprema nu'ng huling pagsuspinde natin, 'last na 'yan' at hindi na natin puwedeng isuspinde dahil gumagawa lang kayo ng kahit anong dahilan, dahil ang katapatan nito ay pagkawala ng demokrasya," the senator said. 

(The Supreme Court already said during our last suspension, “that is the last one,” and we can no longer suspend it because you are just making up any reason, because this is hampering our democracy.)

Gatchalian made the statement after some lawmakers pushed for another postponement of the BSKE and the reallocation of its unspent funds for the government’s response to the energy crisis.

Acting Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo had said that at least P238 billion in funds are available for the government’s aid programs and other high-impact initiatives amid the fuel price hikes.

Toledo explained that the P238 billion is sourced out of the 2026 national budget and continuing appropriations of previous appropriations in the last two years that are yet to be disbursed.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairperson George Erwin Garcia shared the same sentiment with Gatchalian, saying that reallocating the election budget is prohibited by the Supreme Court.

Imee in favor of postponement

Meanwhile, Senator Imee Marcos expressed her support for the postponement of the BSKE, saying that serious economic challenges require direct attention to the immediate needs of the people, food, and essential public services.

“At a time when the country is confronted with serious economic challenges brought about by the oil crisis, prudence demands that we prioritize the allocation of limited public resources,” Marcos said in a statement on Sunday.

“According to COMELEC during the budget hearing last year, nationwide barangay and SK elections will require around 16 billion pesos. This sum can be more urgently directed toward addressing the immediate needs of our people, including rising fuel costs, food security, and essential public services,”  she added.

Marcos further said the BSKE postponement will also give local officials time to focus on addressing the fuel crisis in their respective areas.

Based on Comelec’s computation, around P16 billion remains from the agency’s P19 billion BSKE budget, with about P3 billion already spent on preparations.

Garcia expressed concern over the proposals, citing constitutional limits on fund realignment.

“‘Yung pwedeng magamit sa ibang bagay, sana mapag-isipan ang legalidad dahil maaaring ‘yan din ang makitang dahilan ng SC later para mabalewala ang magandang initiative o plano na ipagpaliban ang BSKE,” he said.

(We hope the legality of any realignment is carefully considered, as this could be a basis for the Supreme Court to invalidate a good initiative or plan to postpone the BSKE.)

The BSKE, originally scheduled for December 1, 2025, has been moved to November 2, 2026 following the extension of the terms of all barangay and SK officials to four years.

The Comelec said last week it has processed more than 3.9 million new voter applications for the 2026 BSKE —nearly three times its initial target of 1.4 million new voters.

Nationwide voter registration for the 2026 BSKE resumed on October 20, 2025, and will run until May 18, 2026. —KG, GMA News