WITH no signs of a temporary restraining order (TRO) being issued by the Supreme Court (SC), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) decided to scrap its calendar of activities for the postponed Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
In a media forum in Manila, Comelec Chairman George Garcia yesterday said: “The Comelec en banc has issued a memorandum to all our officials that effective immediately, all preparations for the December 1 BSKE elections are terminated.”
The poll chief said they have waited long enough for the Supreme Court (SC) to act on the petition filed against Republic Act No. 12232, which rescheduled the BSKE from December 1, 2025 to November 2, 2026.
The Comelec didn’t immediately scrap its calendar of activities despite the passage of the law postponing the BSKE due to the petition filed by election lawyer Romulo Macalintal.
“Comelec’s action cannot just depend on the pendency of the case in the SC. As long as the SC does not take action that stops the implementation of the law, without a TRO, the BSKE is on November 2,” said Garcia.
However, the poll body said its procurement of election supplies and paraphernalia shall continue.
This, he said, means that the public bidding projects relative to the BSKE will not be stopped.
“Actually, we continued with bidding and procurement activities. We didn’t stop. We will still purchase the ballot boxes, ballpoint pens, and indelible ink,” said Garcia.
He explained that this is in order to avoid the expected inflation in the prices of poll paraphernalia.
Garcia noted how moving the procurement schedules to 2026 risks having higher prices.
“Going next year, the inflation will set in. If you procure now, the price will be as of today,” said Garcia.
