Comelec to revise schedule of activities for 2023 BSKE

The poll body started printing the ballots early this month. (Arianne Lacanilao/PCI Photo)

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to release a revised copy of the calendar of activities for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE) that has been reset to Oct. 30, 2023.

“In line with this, the Commission en banc will meet and deliberate to revise the Calendar of Activities for the October 30, 2023 BSKE, postponing and rescheduling to a later date in 2023 the following pertinent activities: Election Period, Period for the Gun Ban and Other Prohibited Acts (November 6 to December 20, 2022), and the Period of Filing of Certificates of Candidacy (October 22 to 29, 2022),” Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said a statement Wednesday night.

The revision comes after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed into law Republic Act 11935 postponing to the last Monday of October 2023 the polls that were originally scheduled for Dec. 5 this year.

Under the law, the three-year term of office of Barangay and SK Officials elected on Oct. 30, 2023 shall commence at noon of Nov. 30, 2023.

Accordingly, until their successors shall have been duly elected and qualified, all incumbent barangay and SK officials, including those in their ex officio capacities, shall remain in office unless sooner removed or suspended for cause.

“As has been oft-repeated and pledged by Chairman George Erwin Garcia, the public can rest assured that the election supplies and paraphernalia will not be put to waste. These include all the printed official ballots and other accountable and non-accountable forms procured through competitive public bidding and other procurement modalities under R.A No. 9184, these will be stored in the warehouses of the Commission under tight security, safekept in time for use on the October 30, 2023 BSKE,” the poll body official added.

On the other hand, Laudiangco said the ballot printing operations at the National Printing Office will be temporarily suspended to reconfigure the ballot face templates to reflect the Oct. 30, 2023 date of the BSKE in the next batch of official ballots.

“Given these developments, the Comelec intends to resume the Continuing System of Voter Registration in the last week of November or first week of December 2022 after the requisite preparatory activities and trainings therefor,” he added.

The poll body started printing the ballots early this month.