Bangsamoro Autonomous Region – The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) En Banc is considering leaving seven district representative seats vacant in the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). This move comes in response to a Supreme Court decision removing Sulu province from BARMM, leading to changes in the region’s district composition.
According to Atty. Ray Sumalipao, COMELEC BARMM Regional Director, this ruling has raised legal issues regarding the implementation of the Bangsamoro Parliamentary District Act of 2024. The current legislation must be revised or a new law passed to reorganize the districts and ensure that all 32 seats for district representatives are properly filled.
However, with the upcoming elections drawing near, there may not be enough time for the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament to pass the necessary legislation. Due to this time constraint, one of the recommendations from the COMELEC En Banc is to temporarily leave the seven seats vacant and allow these positions to be filled by appointment after the elections.
This proposed solution aims to ensure the full composition of the 80-seat Bangsamoro Parliament, as mandated by the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, while providing time to resolve the legal issues surrounding district representation.
