ILOILO CITY — Police authorities in Western Visayas are already preparing for the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections despite growing uncertainty over whether the polls will actually take place on November 2.
The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) has begun laying the groundwork for election security operations across the region, saying police cannot afford to wait for Congress to settle the increasingly contentious question of whether the elections should be postponed.
PRO-6 director Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño said the regional police office has already coordinated with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and is preparing for either scenario.
“The PRO-6 is ready should an election take place,” Tuaño said, stressing that preparations must continue while the final decision remains pending.
The election date is still November 2 — for now
Under the current schedule, the BSKE is set for November 2, 2026.
However, lawmakers are considering measures that would extend the terms of incumbent barangay and SK officials and move the next elections to a later date, with 2028 emerging as the main proposed reset.
The House of Representatives took a major step on September 8 when it approved House Bill No. 10971, which proposes a five-year term for barangay and SK officials and effectively moves the next BSKE to the second Monday of November 2028. The measure passed with 211 votes in favor, 13 against and one abstention.
But the House vote does not by itself cancel the November 2 elections. The proposal still has to go through the legislative process, including Senate action and the required subsequent steps before it becomes law.
That is why police preparations continue.
COMELEC is preparing for both possibilities
COMELEC has repeatedly said it remains ready to conduct the November elections while waiting for Congress to determine whether the polls will proceed.
The poll body told the House that it already has a final list of voters and has printed ballots and procured ballot boxes, forms and other election materials. COMELEC also said it would implement whatever election timetable Congress ultimately establishes.
COMELEC Chairman George Garcia has also urged Congress to provide a clear decision as soon as possible because the filing of certificates of candidacy is scheduled for September 28 to October 5.
That deadline is becoming increasingly important for prospective candidates, election workers, security personnel and local governments preparing for the polls.
Billions already spent on the planned election
The uncertainty also has a financial dimension.
COMELEC has allocated roughly ₱19.57 billion for the BSKE and had already spent approximately ₱8 billion on preparations, according to Garcia. The poll body has warned that postponement could create additional expenses, including possible renewed voter registration, additional election personnel and other logistical requirements.
COMELEC temporarily held off on the delivery of some election supplies because of the uncertainty surrounding the November polls. The agency also considered delaying training for teachers who would serve as election workers.
At the same time, COMELEC has said that already printed ballots would not necessarily become useless if the elections are postponed. The agency told lawmakers that the materials could potentially be used for the succeeding BSKE under an appropriate resolution.
Western Visayas remains in “election mode”
The uncertainty has not stopped election preparations in Western Visayas.
COMELEC-6 director Atty. Dennis Ausan previously said election offices in the region remained in “election mode”, with preparations proceeding according to the existing calendar.
Under the current timetable, the filing of certificates of candidacy is scheduled from September 28 to October 5, followed by the election period beginning October 3. Campaigning is scheduled for October 22 to 31, while Election Day is November 2.
Western Visayas has 4,246,670 registered regular and youth voters across 3,389 barangays, according to COMELEC-6 figures reported by Panay News. That includes more than 3.14 million regular voters and more than 1.1 million registered SK voters.
PRO-6 says there is no reason to wait
For Tuaño, the uncertainty over the election date is precisely why police planning needs to start early.
The PRO-6 chief said security preparations can be adjusted depending on the final decision, but waiting until the last minute could leave police units scrambling to meet operational requirements.
The police are therefore preparing under the assumption that the elections could proceed while remaining ready to modify their plans if Congress ultimately changes the schedule.
This approach is consistent with how Western Visayas has handled previous elections, when police, the military, Coast Guard and COMELEC worked together on checkpoints, polling-place security, transportation and election-related security operations.
During the 2023 BSKE, for example, Western Visayas authorities activated a Regional Joint Security Control Center involving COMELEC, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNP to coordinate election security and enforcement of the gun ban.
The political fight over postponement intensifies
The push to postpone the BSKE has gained significant momentum in Congress.
The House has advanced legislation that would establish five-year terms for barangay and SK officials and move the next elections to 2028. A Senate committee has also backed proposals seeking to postpone the 2026 polls and establish five-year terms.
But the proposal faces opposition.
Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente “Tito” Sotto III has questioned the postponement, arguing that extending the terms again could raise concerns about voters’ right to choose their local leaders. He has expressed a preference for allowing the November 2026 elections to proceed and applying any new five-year term prospectively.
That disagreement means the final outcome remains uncertain.
What happens next?
For now, November 2, 2026 remains the official BSKE date.
PRO-6 is preparing as if the elections will proceed.
COMELEC is preparing as if the elections will proceed.
But Congress is actively considering legislation that could move the polls to 2028.
That leaves Western Visayas — and the rest of the country — in an unusual situation: the security machinery for an election is already being put into motion even though lawmakers have yet to settle whether voters will actually go to the polls this November.
The coming days could be decisive, particularly because the scheduled filing of candidacies is less than three weeks away.
Until Congress passes a measure and it takes effect, however, reports of an already-postponed BSKE should not be treated as final.
For PRO-6, the message is simple: prepare now, adjust later if necessary.
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