THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday said the plan of poll lawyer Romulo Macalintal to question the legality of the likely postponement of the December 2025 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) is not surprising.
In an interview, Comelec chairman George Garcia said Macalintal’s plan is “expected.”
“We are already expecting someone to go to the SC (Supreme Court) to question the legality of a law that will be signed,” Garcia said, adding that
“we have no problem if they are already preparing for it.”
He explained that such is “under the discretion of the Executive and the Legislative departments. If they say it will push through, we will push through. If they say it will be postponed, then we will postpone it.”
Garcia issued the statement a day after Macalintal vowed to question before the SC the legality of the bill setting the new terms of office of baranggay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials, which is scheduled to be signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on August 12.
At the same time, Garcia reiterated that the Comelec will continue to prepare for the BSKE, which is set on December 1.
“We will continue with the filing of the COCs (certificates of candidacy). Why? Because if there is a temporary restraining order (TRO) but no one has filed a COC, what will happen?” he noted.
“It won’t be wasted. There is no cost in filing COCs because that’s part of it. Importantly, there will be candidates in case the election pushes through,” Garcia said.
Based on the Comelec calendar of activities, the filing of COCs for the BSKE will be from October 1 to 7.
