The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has authorized a proposal by Naga City Mayor and former Vice President Leni Robredo to hold the plebiscite for the city’s elevation into a highly urbanized city concurrently with the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on November 2.
Through Minute Resolution No. 26-0526, the Commission en banc endorsed a favorable assessment from Deputy Executive Director for Operations Rafael Olaño, granting the formal appeal submitted by Robredo on June 25.
“The Commission, after due deliberation, resolved, as it hereby resolves, to adopt the recommendation of Deputy Executive Director for Operations Rafael Olaño and approve the request of Hon. Mayor Maria Leonor Gerona Robredo of Naga City that the plebiscite for the ratification of Presidential Proclamation No. 1267 be synchronized with the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to be held on 2 November 2026,” it said.
The electoral body also specified that only local residents of Naga City are authorized to cast their ballots in the vote.
“Resolved, further, that considering that Naga City is an independent component city, only the registered votes of Naga City shall be entitled to vote in the plebiscite for the ratification of Presidential Proclamation No. 1267,” the poll body added.
According to Section 453 of the Local Government Code of 1991 and Article 12 (b) of Administrative Order No. 270, a locality must ratify its upgrade to a highly urbanized city via a plebiscite following an official executive decree.
On Friday, Robredo personally collected the certified resolution at the COMELEC headquarters in Intramuros, Manila.
She emphasized that holding the plebiscite alongside the village elections would yield considerable financial savings for the government relative to organizing an isolated voting day.
”If it will be held separately, we estimate that the cost will double… if held separately, our rough estimate is about ₱50 million,” Robredo said in an interview.
According to COMELEC data, Naga City has a total of 119,259 registered voters who are eligible to participate in the local plebiscite.