Macalintal asks SC to hold oral arguments on BSKE postponement law

Facade of the Supreme Court of the Philippines in Manila. | PHOTO: Official website of the Supreme Court / sc.judiciary.gov.p MANILA, Philippines — Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal has asked the Supreme Court (SC) to hold oral arguments on a petition to abolish the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) Postponement Law. He filed the urgent motion electronically before the SC on Oct. 25, reiterating that the law was intended solely to postpone the November 2026 BSKE and not to serve as a “genuine term-setting measure.” READ: Marcos signs BSKE postponement into law Describing it as “the great debate for the people’s voice to be heard and respected,” Macalintal sought to have the oral arguments held at the “earliest available date.” He also asked the SC to issue a status quo ante order and a restraining order against the law’s implementation while seeking to have the case set for oral arguments. Macalintal argues that the BSKE postponement law is a “transparent semantic maneuver” and “a clear violation of the people’s right of suffrage.” READ: Why postpone the BSKE again? The election lawyer earlier pointed out that the terms of barangay officials elected in October 2023 were supposed to expire in December 2025. Known as Republic Act No. 12326, or the Act Fixing the Term of Office of Barangay Officials and Members of the Sangguniang Kabataan to Five Years, the law postponed the BSKE scheduled for Nov. 2 and extended the terms of incumbent officials to five years. It sets the next BSKE for the second Monday of November 2028 and every five years thereafter. /mcm The post Macalintal asks SC to hold oral arguments on BSKE postponement law appeared first on Inquirer.net .