Senators weigh delay in village elections, use of P16-B budget for oil crisis

SOME Philippine senators are open to postponing the village and youth council elections and redirecting the P16-billion budget to cushion the impact of surging fuel prices, although others warned against sidelining youth governance programs.

Senator Maria Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos backed proposals to defer the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, saying the funds could be used to address urgent needs such as fuel costs, food security and basic services as the country grapples with an oil shock linked to the Middle East war.

“This sum can be more urgently directed toward addressing the immediate needs of our people,” she said in a statement on Sunday, adding that postponement would allow local officials to focus on crisis response instead of election-related activities.

The Philippines has been dealing with rising pump prices following the US-Israel war on Iran, which has disrupted global oil markets and increased pressure on transport and agriculture.

The government has rolled out fuel subsidies for affected sectors, with authorities warning that additional funding might be needed if the crisis drags on beyond three months.

Senator Panfilo M. Lacson earlier cautioned that simply reallocating election funds might face constitutional issues, echoing concerns earlier raised by Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia.

Mr. Lacson suggested a workaround, saying the election body could opt not to spend the funds and instead declare them as savings that can be returned to the national treasury for reprogramming.

“Comelec may opt not to spend the funds for the [elections] and declare them as savings,” he said.

Still, not all lawmakers support postponing the elections.

Senator Alan Peter S. Cayetano opposed the move, citing the importance of youth leadership development through the Sangguniang Kabataan.

“It’s a lesson in democracy, it’s a lesson in governance,” he said during a student engagement in Cebu, warning that scrapping or delaying the elections could weaken efforts to train future leaders.

The elections had been moved once by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. under Republic Act No. 12232, shifting the elections from December 2025 to November 2026 to accommodate the Bangsamoro region’s parliamentary elections. — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel