Ten youth organizations have formally petitioned President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to veto the bill postponing the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to 2028, warning that the measure would permanently strip some young Filipinos of their right to vote or seek office in the Sangguniang Kabataan.
The petition was received by the Office of the President on September 22, 2026, addressed to Marcos through Acting Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto. It calls on the President to allow the elections to proceed as scheduled on November 2, 2026.
Age Limits Make Delay an Outright Denial, Groups Say
Angel Amora of Kaya Natin! Youth said the SK's strict age requirements make any postponement uniquely harmful to young Filipinos. Under rules cited in the petition, SK voters must be between 15 and 30 years old, while candidates must be between 18 and 24.
"For the youth, postponing the election is not just a delay but an outright denial of our right to vote and to run in elections. Once that opportunity is lost, it can never be returned," Amora said in Filipino.
The petition warned that many young people would age out of eligibility to vote or run for SK posts if the elections are delayed again to 2028.
Groups Call Measure a 'Legislative Appointment,' Not a Holdover
The youth organizations argued that the bill is unconstitutional because it expressly extends the terms of incumbent barangay and SK officials rather than placing them in a temporary holdover capacity pending new elections.
The petition quotes the bill's transitory provision directly: "The incumbent elective barangay officials whose term of office is extended by two (2) years shall be considered to have served one (1) full term."
The groups said this differs from arrangements under Republic Act 12232 and earlier postponement laws, under which incumbents stayed on only temporarily to avoid vacancies without any legal extension of their terms. They described the new measure as effectively a "legislative appointment" of sitting officials.
"The law itself clearly extends the terms of incumbent officials — it does not merely place them in a holdover capacity. They have no new mandate from the people for an additional two years," said LA Tolentino of the KASAPI Coalition, speaking in Filipino.
"We call on our President to carefully study the proposed law. Do not rush it — veto it, because it clearly violates the Constitution and the people's right to vote," Tolentino added.
Would Be the Ninth Postponement; ₱8 Billion Already Spent
The groups noted that if the BSKE is delayed again, it would mark the ninth time the polls have been postponed. They also cited nearly ₱8 billion already spent in preparations for the November elections, arguing that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and other government agencies are ready to proceed.
Citing a Momentum Research survey, the organizations said nearly eight in 10 Filipinos want the BSKE to push through as scheduled.
The petition invokes the constitutional principle that sovereignty resides in the people and that all government authority emanates from them, arguing that each postponement denies residents the chance to choose who governs their barangay.
What Senate Bill 2387 Provides
Under Senate Bill 2387, the BSKE would be moved to the second Monday of November 2028, with subsequent elections held every five years. The Senate approved the measure on third and final reading by a 13-5 vote, after which the House adopted the Senate version, bypassing the need for a bicameral conference committee.
The bill also limits barangay officials to two consecutive terms in the same position, while SK officials remain subject to a one-term limit.
Other Groups Join Call for Veto
The youth petition adds to a growing chorus of opposition to the measure. The Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) also called on Marcos to veto the bill and allow the November 2 polls to proceed. Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal filed a supplemental letter-petition on September 22, seeking a personal hearing with Marcos and his legal advisers, arguing that the bill wrongly treats the holdover period as a term extension rather than an extension of tenure.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said earlier that the President would need to read and assess all provisions of the measure before making a decision, according to The Manila Times.
The youth groups said they are prepared to challenge the law before the Supreme Court if it is enacted, and would seek relief including a temporary restraining order.
Ten Organizations Behind the Petition
The petition was signed by Kaya Natin! Youth, KASAPI Coalition, Akbayan Youth, Kilos Ko Youth, Liberal Youth, BUILD Youth, Model SK Network, GoodGovPH, the National Anti-Poverty Commission–Youth and Students Sectoral Council (NAPC-YSSC), and the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines (SCAP).
By the Numbers
- 10 youth organizations signed the petition
- September 22, 2026 — date the petition was received by the Office of the President
- November 2, 2026 — scheduled date of the BSKE if held as planned
- 2028 — proposed new date under Senate Bill 2387
- 9th time the BSKE would be postponed if the bill is signed
- ₱8 billion already spent in preparations for the November polls
- 13-5 — Senate vote approving the bill on third reading
- ~8 in 10 Filipinos support holding the BSKE as scheduled, per Momentum Research
- SK voter eligibility: ages 15–30; candidate eligibility: ages 18–24
Why This Matters
The BSKE postponement debate carries direct constitutional stakes: youth groups argue the bill does not merely delay elections but actively extends the terms of unelected incumbents, depriving citizens of their right to choose local leaders. For SK-eligible youth, the narrow age window means a two-year delay is not a postponement but a permanent loss of the right to participate. With ₱8 billion already committed and Comelec reportedly ready, the President's decision on the bill will determine whether the Philippines conducts its ninth postponement of barangay-level elections — or proceeds with polls on November 2.
Photo credit: Photo from The Manila Times