• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez has admitted that time is running short for the proposed postponement of the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
Benitez, however, said the fate of the measure will ultimately depend on the position of the majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
“For me, if it will push through or not, we are ready, whatever happens, whatever the decisions of Congress and the administration,” he said.
Benitez talked to reporters during the dinner he hosted for both the local media and the Negrense vloggers in Bacolod City on Thursday, Aug. 20.
Benitez, one of the lawmakers who filed a bill seeking to move the BSKE from Nov. 2, 2026 to 2028, said the Commission on Elections has also maintained that the decision rests with Congress.
“Whatever is the decision of the majority, there is still a way, if it will be decided to be a priority bill,” he added.
The proposed postponement comes amid differing views among political leaders and lawmakers over whether the barangay and SK elections should proceed as scheduled.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, however, expressed preference for the elections to push through, noting that the budget for the polls has already been allocated and warning that postponing them could result in additional expenses. | GPB
