LNB Iloilo chief not worried over SC petition vs term law

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Liga ng mga Barangay (LNB) Iloilo Province President and Ex-Officio Board Member Amalia Victoria Debuque said she is confident that Republic Act No. 12232, which resets the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to November 2026, will withstand the petition filed before the Supreme Court.

“You know what, with Attorney Macalintal, it was really expected by everyone at the national level that he was going to contest. Even our barangay officials here know and are watching him,” Debuque said in an interview during the Liga ng mga Barangay Day 2025 celebration on Sunday, August 24.

“But we also have a good election lawyer on our side. At the same time, I trust that since it was already signed by Congress, the Senate, and the President, it is safe to say we are on solid ground,” she added.

Debuque referred to the petition filed by veteran election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, who questioned the constitutionality of RA 12232.

The Supreme Court has directed Congress, the Executive Secretary, and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to respond within 10 days.

Debuque stressed that barangay leaders remain confident.

“Our national president, Jessica Dy, even went to the Supreme Court two days ago to file the counter to Macalintal’s petition. So we’re not worried. We are confident in her leadership. She is strong, intelligent, and really working hard for the betterment of barangay officials,” she stressed.

She also called on barangay officials in Iloilo to use the extension to prove their commitment.

“Now that we are given the chance to serve another year, I ask our barangay officials to do their jobs properly. This is the chance given to us, so we must not take it lightly. I really believe there are good barangay officials,” she said.

Meanwhile, LNB National President Ma. Katrina Jessica Dy, in her speech during the Liga Day program, emphasized that the passage of RA 12232 was made possible through the unity of barangay officials nationwide.

“Finally, the President signed it. But the fight is not yet over because Atty. Macalintal filed against it. Last Friday, we filed a petition to intervene in court, and I am hopeful that the Supreme Court will listen,” she said.

Dy urged support for the measure, saying it is important to explain why barangay officials are pushing for the term adjustment.

She noted that if elections proceed this December, it would result in the shortest term in history—only two years.

She emphasized that barangay officials carry heavy responsibilities but only receive an honorarium, not salaries or benefits like health insurance or SSS.

“It’s about time we give thanks and benefits to the heroes in our barangays. Even if only the benefits are granted, it will be a huge help. Barangay officials are the only government workers who do not receive benefits,” she added.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed RA 12232 earlier this month, postponing the December 2025 BSKE to November 2026.

The law also extends the term of barangay and SK officials to four years but sets limits on consecutive terms.

The government said the postponement will allow COMELEC to focus on the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in October 2025, a vote considered crucial to sustaining peace efforts in Mindanao.