Election lawyer Atty. Romulo Macalintal has filed a motion for partial reconsideration with the Supreme Court, asking the tribunal to overturn its decision regarding the postponement of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
While not seeking a total reversal, Macalintal wants the Court to uphold Congress’s authority to extend terms of office while declaring the consequential postponement of the November 2026 BSKE unconstitutional.
He filed the online petition on Tuesday, November 10, describing the proposal as a balanced approach.
“This proposed resolution harmonizes the vital interests of all concerned. Public respondents—Congress, the Office of the President, and the Commission on Elections—sustain their stance that Congress possesses the constitutional authority to determine terms of office. On the other hand, the Filipino electorate will rejoice as their sacred right of suffrage is fully restored and vindicated,” Macalintal stated.
The motion follows a Supreme Court decision made public on Friday, November 6, written by Chief Justice Rodil Zalameda, which dismissed Macalintal’s initial challenge against Republic Act No. 12326.
The law extended the terms of barangay and SK officials to five years, limited consecutive service to two terms, and scheduled the next elections for November 2028. The ruling was decided by a 9-5 vote, with one justice on leave.
The Supreme Court maintained that RA 12326 functions primarily as a term-fixing measure rather than an election postponement law, noting that scheduling the vote for November 2028 naturally follows the implementation of the new five-year term framework.