No more election excuses

By Herman M. Lagon

There is a quiet unease when a system keeps delaying people’s chance to decide. It feels like a test being moved again and again—not because people aren’t ready, but because the one in charge isn’t. Eventually, effort fades. People start asking if it is still worth caring. That is where the barangay and SK election issue now rests—not in technicalities, but in the lived frustration of those who have waited long enough.

At some level, the reasons for postponement do sound reasonable. There is a fuel crisis. There are budget constraints. Sixteen billion pesos is not a small amount, especially when families are calculating every liter of gasoline and every kilo of rice. The Palace has said it is open to proposals if they benefit the country. That sounds pragmatic. But democracy is not a line item that can be conveniently adjusted when things get tight. It is a commitment that must hold especially when things are difficult. As NAMFREL pointed out, elections are not discretionary events; they are constitutional obligations that sustain public trust and accountability .

The legal anchors are clear. The Supreme Court has already ruled that repeated postponements undermine the constitutional guarantee of periodic elections and may violate the electorate’s right of suffrage (Supreme Court, 2023). Senator Sherwin Gatchalian has been blunt in calling another delay unconstitutional, noting that funds are available and that citizens are expecting to choose their local leaders. Even Comelec has raised concerns about the legality of realigning election funds. These are not partisan statements. They are institutional reminders that rules exist for a reason—and that bending them repeatedly weakens more than just timelines.

But if there is one reason the elections must proceed, it is this: barangay elections are the closest thing many Filipinos have to direct democracy. This is not about national personalities or distant policies. This is about the barangay captain deciding who receives aid, the kagawad settling everyday conflicts, the SK chair choosing between real youth work or just tarpaulins. When elections are postponed, people are not simply waiting for a new date. They are waiting for the chance to correct what is not working. As one hears in many communities, “sobra na ang nakaupo, kailangan na mapalitan.” That sentiment does not come from theory. It comes from lived experience.

There is also the quiet issue of trust. When election funds—already allocated and partly spent—are suddenly considered for realignment, it raises uncomfortable questions. Where does the money go? Who decides? Even the best intentions can be questioned when perception changes. And once that happens, trust becomes fragile. The Edelman Trust Barometer (2024) makes it clear—people trust what is consistent, not just what is said. When rules seem flexible, people start wondering why.

At the same time, barangay governance is not above criticism. Some communities are served well—issues are resolved, programs move, help arrives when needed. But in others, politics creeps in, and loyalty or popularity begins to matter more than actual work. Teachers often notice this first. Around election time, students carry fragments of adult politics into the classroom, repeating lines without fully understanding them.

Mark Twain’s remark about politicians, like diapers, needing regular change may sound sharp, but it holds a simple truth. Leadership needs renewal. Without it, familiarity can turn into complacency, and accountability slowly fades. Worse, it becomes entitled. The point of elections is not to guarantee better leaders every time. It is to ensure that no one becomes too comfortable—even toxic and corrupt—in power without being asked to account for it.

This is why postponement, even if well-intentioned, carries a deeper risk. It protects incumbency by default. It delays accountability. It tells citizens, in subtle ways, that their role can wait. That is a dangerous message, especially at the grassroots level where governance is most visible and most personal. As election watchdogs like LENTE and NAMFREL have warned, repeated delays deprive voters of their most accessible accountability mechanism and disproportionately silence young leaders who may age out of eligibility before they even get the chance to serve.

At the same time, there are voices worth listening to with care. Iloilo Province’s young Liga ng mga Barangay President Amalia Victoria Debuque, once my student in Ateneo de Iloilo, shared that she is neither for nor against postponement, but for credible elections. That makes sense. Local officials work under real constraints that are easy to overlook. Her stance reflects prudence, not distance. But it also highlights the need to support them better.

At its core, the barangay should serve people—not politics. The law is clear on its mandate. The application, however, varies widely. Some barangays are models of participatory governance. Others struggle with transparency, documentation, and basic service delivery. That unevenness is precisely why elections matter. They allow communities to reward what works and reject what does not.

There is also a quieter, often overlooked benefit. Elections, even at the barangay level, create small but real economic movement. Printing shops, tricycle drivers, small eateries near campaign areas—all feel a bit of activity. It does not solve systemic poverty, but it circulates money in ways that are felt locally. More importantly, it reminds people that civic life is still active, not suspended.

At its core, this is not simply about choosing between cost and elections. It is a question of whether rules still mean what they say. If elections can be moved again for convenience, then what stops future postponements? If leaders can extend their stay without a fresh mandate, then what happens to accountability? The cost of postponement is not only measured in pesos. It is measured in trust, in participation, and in the quiet belief that systems still work as they should.

Perhaps it comes down to this. Barangay elections are long overdue—not just on paper, but in meaning. People are ready. They may not choose perfectly, but choosing still matters. Because democracy is not about always getting it right—it is about being allowed to decide, without delay.

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Doc H fondly describes himself as a “student of and for life” who, like many others, aspires to a life-giving and why-driven world grounded in social justice and the pursuit of happiness. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the institutions he is employed or connected with.