Senate approves on third reading bill extending barangay, SK terms to five years

The Senate has approved on third reading a bill seeking to set the term of office of barangay officials and members of the Sangguniang Kabataan from four to five years. 

Senate Bill 2387 also proposes to move the elections from the first Monday of November 2026 to the second Monday of November 2028, per Sen. Chiz Escudero, the bill's author. Elections will then take place every five years. 

"The term of office of all elected barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials shall be five years," read the Bill, as amended on third reading. 

"No elective barangay official shall serve for more than two consecutive terms in the same position. No elective Sangguniang Kabataan shall serve for more than one term in the same position," it continued. 

Thirteen senators approved the bill, while there were five vetoes from Senate President Pro Tempore Tito Sotto III, senators Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan, and Joel Villanueva. 

The bill was passed after Escudero revised some clauses, taking into consideration the proposals of fellow senators who vetoed the bill, including Sotto. 

Following the second reading of the bill, Sotto expressed his concern that "it might give an impression to the public of how little regard we are giving to the unit of government closest to the people," adding that there are "numerous erring barangay officials nationwide."

"Sabi [ng mga mayor], lalo raw lalakas ang loob ng mga 'yan, knowing na hanggang 2028 pa pala sila, e may mga kaso ang karamihan sa kanila; marami sa kanila, hindi naman karamihan," Sotto said. 

Lobbying for his proposal to push through with the November 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections this November, Sotto said, "Ito ang pagkakataon nilang mapalitan eh; pagkakataon nilang ihalal 'yung matitino at magagaling at alisin 'yung mga bulok at kurap."

Sotto then advanced his proposal that sought to prevent incumbent barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials with pending administrative and/or criminal charges from "exercising active duties or claim holdover capacity while their cases are pending."

Escudero said he saw Sotto's point but maintained the "constitutional issues" in the proposal of the former Senate president. 

"These barangay and SK officials have not yet been convicted by final judgment to disqualify them from anything that the law may be offering equally under the equal protection clause to all barangay and SK officials," Escudero said during Sotto's interpellation. 

He added that if the bill were amended according to Sotto's proposal, it may be weaponized by mayors who have rifts with barangay officials. 

Later, Escudero agreed to adjust the language to consider the arguments of his colleagues. After third reading, the Act maintained that extending the officials' term does not give them immunity from the law. 

"Nothing in this Act shall be construed to exempt any incumbent official from pending and future investigations concerning administrative, civil, or criminal cases or liabilities against them," the measure now reads. 

The last barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections were held in October 2023.