Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — A petition for certiorari and prohibition seeking to declare the law postponing 2025 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) unconstitutional was filed at the Supreme Court on Friday, August 15.For educator John Barry Tayam who filed the petition, the law has “many defects” and allegedly violates the right to vote.Tayam hopes a temporary restraining order (TRO) would be filed so the polls push through in December 1, 2025 instead of November 2, 2026, which is the newly set date. “Nakita ko na marami pong defect dito sa kakapasa lang or kakapirma lang na batas. Mayroon po tayong existing jurisprudence– ‘yung pag-postpone po ng barangay elections ay labag po sa ating Constitution, and at the same time vina-violate po nito ‘yung karapatan natin sa pagboto,” Tayam told reporters after filing the petition. “‘Yung prayer po natin siyempre i-declare po na unconstitutional po itong bagong batas na ito and then at the same time, mag-issue po ng temporary restraining order para po matuloy ‘yung barangay election by December 1st, 2025,” Tayam said.He also asked to allow any aspirants for the Sangguniang Kabataan elections to be allowed to run because the postponement would make some people who may be interested ineligible. “At the same time, mayroon din pong rule 63 ng declaratory relief just in case kasi na baka hindi tuloy by December 1st or magkakaroon ng delay, ‘yung mga youth na aspirant na gustong mag-join sa SK, ‘pag ikaw kasi ay nag-exceed na sa age na 24 ay madi-disqualify ka na. So doon sa declaratory relief under rule 63, inask ko na sana payagan ‘yung mga naapektuhan ng batas na ‘to kasi kung made-declare man na unconstitutional, na-violate ‘yung rights nila sa due process,” Tayam said.Tayam added that some parts of the law are unclear and lacking in amendments to some laws. “Binanggit din po ang violation po sa one subject, one rule under Section 26 ng Article 6 of the 1987 Constitution. Kasi ‘pag gumagawa po ng batas, dapat klaro po eh. Sa part ng bagong batas na ‘to, ang i-indicate niya lang po pag-set ng bagong term po doon sa mga barangay o elect officials once na maganap ‘yung election. Pero unlike nung mga previous law na ginawa, very specific tulad nga kapag pinostpone, specific postponement lang. Pero dito sa part na ‘to, hindi nakalagay doon sa subject o sa title ng batas ‘yung postponement,” he said.“And at the same time, wala ding amendment sa mga previous laws. And wala ding amendment pagdating sa part ng– walang amendment doon sa Local Government Code,” Tayam added.According to the petitioner, he reached out to the Senate, the Office of the President (OP), and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) prior to filing.However, the OP told him they forwarded his letter to Comelec.Meanwhile, Comelec said it would refrain from giving its legal opinion, according to Tayam. “Bago pa man din humantong sa ganito, nag-reach out na ‘ko sa Senate. Nag-reach out na rin ako kay Mr. President na i-veto ‘yung bill nung last time na naipasa siya during the 19th Congress. So wala naman po ako na-receive na response from the Congress, pero sa Office of the President, mayroon po. So nung nag-letter po ako sa Office of the President, ang respond po sa akin ay finorward po nila sa Comelec. And then ang respond po sa ‘kin ng Comelec siyempre they were refraining po sa pagbigay ng legal opinion nila. Naintindihan ko naman po ‘yun,” he said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/13/marcos-jr-signs-law-postponing-2025-barangay-sangguniang-kabataan-polls-1938">Marcos Jr. signs law postponing 2025 Barangay, Sangguniang Kabataan polls</a></div>

A petition for certiorari and prohibition seeking to declare the law postponing 2025 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) unconstitutional was filed at the Supreme Court on Friday.

A petition for certiorari and prohibition seeking to declare the law postponing 2025 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) unconstitutional was filed at the Supreme Court on Friday.

Petition vs postponement of barangay, SK polls filed at Supreme Court

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Petition vs postponement of barangay, SK polls filed at Supreme Court

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 15, 2025 05:59 PM PHT

Read More:

Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections

Supreme Court

Office of the President

Congress

petition

elections

Comelec

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