Senate Approves 5-Year Barangay, SK Terms, 2026 Elections Set for Postponement

 

The Senate has approved a measure extending the terms of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials to five years, a move that would defer the scheduled Barangay and SK Elections on Nov. 2, 2026.

The bill, principally backed by Sen. Francis Escudero, secured approval on third and final reading with 13 senators voting in favor and five against.

Under the proposed new election timetable, voters would next choose barangay and SK officials on the second Monday of November 2028, with succeeding elections to be conducted every five years.

The measure also establishes a transition rule for incumbent officials. Those currently holding elected barangay positions would be considered to have completed one term, taking into account the two-year extension of their service. Officials already serving their third consecutive term would consequently be barred from seeking the same post in the 2028 elections.

Opponents of the measure questioned whether another election postponement is justified, particularly given the constitutional importance of choosing local officials through regular elections.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan argued that barangays need new leaders and younger voices, particularly those who can bring fresh ideas and greater participation into local governance. Sen. Bam Aquino likewise maintained that the November elections should proceed and give a new generation of leaders an opportunity to serve.

Also voting against the bill were Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente Sotto III, Sen. Risa Hontiveros and Sen. Joel Villanueva.

Sotto had previously criticized another postponement, noting that the proposed five-year term could be established without delaying the 2026 polls. He pointed out that moving the elections again would mark the eighth postponement of the BSKE.

The Senate approval now places the proposed five-year electoral cycle at the center of the debate over continuity in barangay governance versus the public's right to regularly elect local representatives. The measure still has to complete the remaining legislative and approval requirements before its new election schedule can take effect.