Three measures calling for the postponement of the scheduled Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Nov. 2, 2026 have reached first reading in the House of Representatives.

Read during plenary session Wednesday, Aug. 6 were House Bill (HB) No. 10583, filed by Senior Deputy Speaker South Cotabato 2nd district Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez, South Cotabato 3rd district Rep. Dibu Tuan, Davao Occidental lone district Rep. Claude Bautista, Davao de Oro 1st district Rep. Maria Carmen Zamora, and Davao de Oro 2nd district Rep. Leonel "Jhong" Ceniza; HB No. 10584 filed by Basilan lone district Rep. Ustadz Yusop Alano; and HB No. 10591 filed by dozens of congressmen from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Two of the measures--HB Nos. 10584 and 10591--seek to move the elections to the last Monday of November 2028, while HB No. 10583 proposes holding them on the last Monday of May 2027.

All three bills cite the Supreme Court (SC) ruling in Macalintal vs. Comelec (Commission on Elections), which states that an election may only be postponed for "important, substantial, or compelling reasons", as the constitutional basis for their proposals.

The bill also does not it seek to realign or divert Comelec funds to unrelated government programs.

"It responds instead to extraordinary and intervening events that have materially affected the financial, logistical physical, and operational conditions under which the November 2, 2026 BSKE must be conducted," the bill read.

"The country is presently confronting an international energy crisis arising from the conflict in the Middle East, which has caused significant instability in global petroleum supply. These developments were not reasonably foreseeable when the appropriations and operational assumptions for the 2026 elections were prepared," it noted.

HB No. 10583 says the Philippines is particularly vulnerable to disruptions in the global oil market because it relies heavily on imported petroleum.

"As global supply has tightened, domestic tuel prices have become highly volatile. The resulting surge in fuel costs has significantly increased the cost of transportation, power, logistics, and other essential services and supplies, leaving no dependable cost baseline upon which election contracts and logistical preparations may be based," it said.

This argument was echoed HB No. 10584, which read: "An ongoing international energy emergency has triggered extreme domestic fuel volatility, reaching up to Php 172.90 per liter for diesel, and widespread inflation, which hit 6.4 percent in June 2026 with transport costs rising by 12.8 percent."

"Because election logistics require the nationwide deployment of ballots, equipment, security, and personnel, these cost surges invalidate previous budgetary baselines," read the measure.

"Conducting the BSKE under current Comelec appropriations without realistic calibration risks severe operational deficiencies, delayed deployments, and inadequate support for Electoral Boards, especially in geographically isolated areas," it bill further indicated.

HB No. 10591 says the country's dependence on imported petroleum magnifies the effect of these disruptions.

"During the crisis, reported domestic prices reached as high as Php1 72.90 per liter for diesel, while gasoline exceeded Php100.00 per liter. Such volatility affects not only transportation but also electricity, freight, equipment deployment, rentals, food, accommodation, communications, and emergency support.

"It prevents the establishment of a reliable cost baseline for election procurement and nationwide logistics," read HB No. 10591.

The House of Representatives had just resumed sessions last July 27, which marked the start of the second regular session of the 20th Congress.

All three bills are pending before the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms.