Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman George Garcia on Thursday said holding the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Nov. 2 would be ‘impractical‘ and ‘nearly impossible‘ due to the lack of time to prepare for the polls.
In an interview on DZRH's Dos Por Dos, Garcia said the poll body was prepared to fulfill its mandate but would face significant challenges in preparing for the elections, including training teachers for manual voting, distributing election materials nationwide, and conducting voter information campaigns.
“At this point ay medyo near impossibility na, hindi na po ganun ka practical na ganun po na realistic na maisagawa natin ang halalan sa Nov. 2,” Garcia said.
“Kung kaya lamang kung ano man ang ipag-uutos sa atin ng Korte Suprema, gagawan po namin ng paraan. But definitely, surely, hindi po namin kakayanin ang Nov. 2,” he added.
Garcia said the poll body would need sufficient time to carry out essential preparations, including the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC), voter information dissemination, and the training of teachers who would serve as election personnel in a manual voting system.
The distribution of election materials across the country would also pose a logistical challenge, particularly in areas accessible only by sea, according to the COMELEC chair.
Despite the difficulties, Garcia assured the public that the COMELEC’s approximately P11.54-billion election budget remained intact and sufficient for its planned operations.
“Sapat po sa amin ‘yun pong ₱11.54 bilyon na ipinagkatiwala sa atin…Sapat pa rin at hindi naman kami manghihingi ng dagdag. Pero syempre kapag nagkaroon po tayo ng reset na Barangay at SK Elections ibang usapan po ‘yu,” he said.
However, he warned that a further postponement or a change in the election schedule could require additional funding, particularly if the poll body needed to conduct another voter registration drive.
Such a move could involve accommodating an estimated three million new voters, establishing additional precincts, and procuring more election supplies.
Garcia emphasized the need for adequate preparation time to ensure the orderly, safe, and efficient conduct of the elections.
His remarks came amid a legal challenge filed by election lawyer Romy Macalintal before the Supreme Court (SC) questioning the postponement of the BSKE.
In September, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12326, postponing the BSKE to Nov. 13, 2028.
The law also sets the terms of barangay and SK officials at five years.
Watch the full interview below:
