ELECTIONS lawyer Romulo Macalintal yesterday scored Sen. Imee Marcos over her remarks describing the impending postponement of the December 2025 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) as “merely incidental,” saying this is unacceptable when the one being undermined is the people’s right to vote.
In a statement, Macalintal said that “it is not a ‘mere incident’ that a voter is given this right of suffrage under our Constitution.”
“Senator Imee and those legislators similarly minded, need not be reminded that the right to vote is a sacred fundamental right,” he added.
Macalintal likewise said Marcos’ statement clearly proves that the measure fixing the terms of barangay and youth leaders, which would effectively defer the conduct of the BSKE set on December 1, does not comply with the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in postponing the polls.
The SC, in 2023, struck down as unconstitutional Republic Act No. 11935, saying that the postponement of the BSKE at the time was not “necessitated by public emergency.”
“To say that the postponement of the BSKE is ‘merely incidental’ cannot be regarded as a ‘public emergency’ that can justify the postponement of the December 1 BSKE,” Macalintal said.
“It makes that reconciled bill a draconian measure that clearly undermines the people’s right to choose their own leaders,” he also said.
Macalintal has earlier asked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to veto the measure that sets a new term for barangay and youth officials and effectively postpones the BSKE from December 2025 to November 2026.
In reaction to Macalintal’s appeal, Sen. Marcos said the
“postponement of the 2025 BSKE is merely incidental (to the setting of the term of barangay and SK officials).” She then urged the President to sign bill as soon as possible so the Commission on Elections (Comelec) can focus on preparing for the BARMM elections in October.
In a separate interview, Elections chairman George Garcia said the poll body will push through with some of its preparations for the BSKE as its postponement is still uncertain.
