Macalintal to Marcos: Veto bill postponing BSKE

MANILA, Philippines — Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal on Thursday urged President Marcos to veto the measure postponing the Nov. 2 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), adding he wants to be personally heard by Marcos regarding the matter.

The House of Representatives adopted the Senate’s version of a bill extending the term of village and youth councilors to five years on Wednesday, sending the measure that effectively postpones their elections straight to Malacañang for executive action.

But in a letter transmitted and received by the Office of the President today, Macalintal decried that signing or allowing the measure to lapse into law “will inflict severe constitutional injury.”

“In light of the foregoing, may I respectfully request an opportunity to be personally heard by Your Excellency on this matter?” Macalintal said in the letter.

“Furthermore, in the highest interest of protecting the Philippine Constitution, upholding the rule of law, and preserving the sanctity of the ballot, I most respectfully implore Your Excellency to exercise your constitutional prerogative by vetoing the subject enrolled bill,” he continued.

According to him, the bill is a direct violation of the electorate’s right of suffrage and lacks complete substantive justification and operational readiness.

Macalintal said, “If the legislative objective is truly to adjust future terms of office, any new term structure should have been applied strictly and prospectively to the officials winning the upcoming November 2, 2026 election.”

“That less restrictive path would have fulfilled term-setting goals without trampling upon the electorate’s fundamental right to choose their grassroots leaders,” he also said.

Macalintal was one of the petitioners in the consolidated petitions earlier granted by the SC that declared the postponement of the 2022 BSKE as “unconstitutional.”

The Commission on Elections said unless a law is passed before the end of September, the filing of certificates of candidacy scheduled from Sept. 28 to Oct. 5 will push through. /cb