• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Commission on Elections in the Negros Island Region (COMELEC-NIR) dismissed circulating reports claiming that the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) scheduled for November 2, 2026, will no longer push through, describing it as false and misleading.
In a statement issued to address a viral social media post, COMELEC-NIR Director Lionel Marco Castillano clarified that the report was based on inaccurate information and a misinterpretation of existing laws.
Castillano explained that the law signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. only postponed the BSKE originally scheduled for May 2025 and reset it to November 2, 2026.
He stressed that the date remains valid and unchanged.
“The BSKE has not been postponed. The election will definitely proceed this November because there is no legal basis or new legislation that moves or delays the date,” Castillano said.
He emphasized that Congress has not passed any new law, resolution, or directive that would postpone, cancel, or reschedule the November 2, 2026 elections.
As preparations continue, Castillano reported that Election Registration Board (ERB) hearings began on June 1 to process voter registration applications and address any opposition filed against applicants.
He said COMELEC is expected to complete the consolidation of voter registration data within the next two to three weeks and subsequently prepare its quarterly progress report. The agency will also proceed with the clustering of polling precincts and other election-related preparations ahead of the barangay and youth polls.
Castillano urged the public not to be misled by unverified social media posts and to rely only on official announcements issued by COMELEC and authorized government information channels.
“With no law postponing the elections, all preparations for the November 2 BSKE are moving forward as scheduled,” he added.*
