Manila, Aug. 12 -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Garcia on Wednesday warned that postponing the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) could result in the waste of PHP8 billion already spent on preparations.

He added that the calls to postpone polls, scheduled for Nov. 2, 2026, are political in nature and should be left to Congress.

"We simply state that the Comelec has already spent PHP8 billion. Our budget for the BSKE is PHP19 billion, leaving a balance of PHP11 billion. Of that, PHP9 billion is allocated for teachers' honoraria, PHP1 billion for training, and PHP1 billion for deployment expenses," Garcia said at the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel.

"So, regarding that PHP8 billion, it would truly g...