INTRAMUROS, MAYNILA — Amidst pending proposals and petitions in Congress seeking to postpone the polls and extend the terms of incumbent barangay officials, the Commission on Elections has announced that the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) will push through as scheduled on December 1, 2025.

Following the announcement, Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia clarified that the BSKE will be completely manual to answer queries if there is a possibility that the polls would be automated.

“Of course, the preparations of the Comelec are for full manual elections,” Garcia asserted.

“(But) we are studying if we can conduct even just a pilot test of automated elections,” he added.
He likewise explained that “if we’ll do that, you will have to again rent machines and therefore, this will add to the expenses for the BSKE.”

Meanwhile, in Cebu City, provincial election supervisor Marchel Sarno called on the public to participate in the upcoming voter registration, which aims to accommodate new voters, transferees, and those applying for reactivation or correction of records.

The 11-day registration period will run from July 1 to July 11, 2025.

Sarno advised eligible voters to register early, citing the brief registration window and limited resources of the poll body.

"This is a short period of time, so take advantage of it. Don't wait until the last day of registration because our capacity is not that huge," the election official pointed out.

Sarno also reminded candidates who ran in the May 2025 midterm elections to submit their Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE) by June 11 because failure to file the SOCE could result in administrative penalties and potential disqualification from holding public office.

"The BSKE, which will be conducted using manual voting and counting, draws a large turnout and intense interest from the electorate due to the deeply personal nature of local contests," he noted.

"We expect that, especially for the barangay elections, many will register. This is because the opponents are neighbors and relatives, so we expect the contest in the BSKE to be more personal," he cited.

In both Houses of Congress, several lawmakers continue to push the postponement of the BSKE despite the ongoing Comelec preparations for the community polls.
However, the Supreme Court has already ruled in June 2023 that postponement of the polls are unconstitutional and elections must be held regularly.

House Bill 10344 was filed to move the BSKE to Octobdr 26 next year in order to give way for a full three-year term even as reelected lady senator Maria Imelda Josefa Remedios 'Imee' Marcos-Manotoc and some colleagues are proposing to extend the term to six years with less frequent polls.

Finally, Chairman Garcia averred that the BSKE will proceed as scheduled unless a new law is passed and signed.