SC issues order on village poll suit

THE Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday ordered several government agencies to comment on a lawsuit questioning the legality of a law that moved the December 2025 village and youth council elections to 2026.

In a resolution, the high court ordered the Senate, House of Representatives, Commission on Elections (Comelec) and Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin to submit their comments within 10 days.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia told BusinessWorld via Viber they would immediately comply with the court order.

The petition was filed on Aug. 15 by election lawyer Romulo B. Macalintal, who challenged Republic Act No. 12232. The law, signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Aug. 13, rescheduled the village and youth council elections from Dec. 1, to the first Monday of November 2026, effectively extending the term of incumbent officials to four years.

Mr. Macalintal also urged the tribunal to stop the law’s implementation and direct the Comelec to continue preparations for the elections as originally scheduled.

He argued that Congress has no authority to defer the elections or lengthen the tenure of elected officials, citing a previous Supreme Court ruling that struck down such moves as attempts to prolong officials’ stay in office without a fresh mandate.

The case marks the latest legal challenge to repeated postponements of village and youth council elections, which are supposed to be held every three years under the law. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana