HOUSE Deputy Speaker and Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez favors postponing the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) for six months due to the fuel crisis.
The BSKE is scheduled for November 2, 2026, and Commission on Elections (Comelec) preparations continue.
“I would rather use the P13 billion to P14 billion appropriation for the BSKE to augment to this crisis (fuel crisis),” Benitez said.
He said the allotted budget could fund financial assistance and added that lawmakers will draft legislation to postpone the BSKE.
The lawmaker noted the Supreme Court might deem the move unconstitutional, but he argued a “just cause” exists due to the crisis.
“Some people saying that we have to prepare that it might be worst than the Covid-19 pandemic situation,” Benitez said.
If that happens, he said the National Government should be ready.
“So I would like to get all the available funds for us to be able to respond accordingly on our situation,” he said.
Comelec Chairperson George Garcia earlier said preparations for the November 2 BSKE continue.
He said he received information about postponement plans because of the crisis but stressed that the commission cannot stop preparations based on reports, Garcia said. (MAP)
