Manila: Senate President Francis Escudero on Monday defended the constitutionality of a bill that proposes extending the term of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials from three to four years, arguing that it rectifies the issues highlighted by the Supreme Court in a similar law that was partially declared unconstitutional in 2023. Escudero emphasized that the previous law was voided due to a failure to define the term of office for officials while postponing elections.
According to Philippines News Agency, Escudero explained that the newly proposed bill avoids the previous errors by rescheduling the elections and explicitly stating the four-year term for officials. "The Supreme Court did not strike down the postponement of the elections, only the absence of a defined term," Escudero stated during a press briefing. He added, "This one postpones but sets the term. in our view, it is compliant because it differs from the earlier law."
Recently, the Senate ratified the bicameral conference committee report that reconciled Senate Bill No. 2816 and House Bill No. 11287. The final version of the bill caps barangay officials' service at three terms, while SK officials are limited to one term in the same position. Although not initially included in the priority measures of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), Escudero noted that Congress acted in anticipation of the December 2025 polls. "We were able to act on it and passed all the priority measures except one or two," he remarked.
In contrast, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal has called on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to veto the bill, claiming it still postpones the 2025 elections without a voter mandate and contravenes the constitutional requirement for single-subject legislation. Macalintal compared the measure to Republic Act 11935, which faced invalidation for similar reasons. Despite this opposition, Escudero expressed confidence that Marcos would sign the bill into law unless the Supreme Court rules otherwise.
In a related matter, Escudero strongly supported the scheduled October 2025 elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), describing it as the region's first substantial step towards democratic leadership. He asserted his confidence that the BARMM elections would proceed as planned and that future leaders would derive their mandate from the people, rather than political appointments.
