First-time voters line up to register for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections at Pinaglabanan Elementary School in San Juan City on Friday, August 1, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — In light of a petition filed before the Supreme Court seeking a temporary restraining order against the enforcement of the law postponing the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said it is ready in terms of both budget and operations.
"Ang importante po, whatever the Supreme Court will release by tomorrow, the Comelec naman po is prepared just in case," Comelec Chairman George Garcia told lawmakers in the agency's Senate budget hearing on Monday.
Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal filed the petition electronically on Sunday, as he questioned the hasty passage of the law without allowing the public to scrutinize the legislation.
READ: Election lawyer seeks TRO from Supreme Court vs postponement of BSKE polls
Garcia, however, said that should the Supreme Court issue a TRO, the elections would not push through on the originally scheduled date of November 2, as the commission had already issued an order halting all election-related activities.
"Pero sa part po ni Comelec, pinahinto na po namin kaagad ang lahat ng aktibidad in relation to the 2026 barangay and SK election ng November 2 bilang pagkilala na may bago na po tayong batas," he said.
"And therefore, baka po abutin nyo na mga hanggang dalawang linggo," Garcia added.
The Comelec had already spent P8 billion on preparations for the BSKE, including equipment, ballots, and manpower.
Garcia assured lawmakers that most of the potential waste would be limited to manpower costs, while the supplies and equipment could still be used for future elections.
"Yung po lahat ng mga gamit na na-procure na Comelec, pwede po natin magamit lang basta po ma-safekeep, ma-warehouse, nang maayos," he said.
Meanwhile, any unused BSKE budget could be reappropriated for preparations for the upcoming 2028 national elections, Garcia added.
The 2027 proposed budget for Comelec is P29.5 billion under the National Expenditure Program., which is 46 percent higher than last year's allocation due to funding for preparations for the 2028 elections.
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