Manila, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has urged Congress to decide by December on whether to proceed with or postpone the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections, originally set for May 2025. Comelec Chair George Garcia raised this appeal during a Senate hearing on a bill proposing to delay the elections until May 2026, a move intended to address legal adjustments following a Supreme Court ruling that excluded Sulu province from the BARMM.
With both Senate President Francis Escudero and House Speaker Martin Romualdez supporting the delay, reactions have been mixed among BARMM leaders and national legislators. The Bangsamoro parliament previously passed a resolution urging Congress to reschedule the elections to 2028, citing the need for adequate preparations to address the changes brought by the Supreme Court’s ruling, including the reallocation of parliamentary seats for Sulu.
In his testimony, Garcia emphasized the urgency, explaining that Comelec needs clarity by mid-December to finalize the list of candidates and prepare for ballot printing. “This is not to pressure Congress,” he clarified, “but Comelec has a timeline. We need to proceed with ballot printing by the last week of December to be ready for the 2025 elections.”
Meanwhile, House Deputy Minority Leader Mujiv Hataman, representing Basilan, insisted that elections proceed as scheduled, stating that the right to vote should not be compromised and calling for wider public consultations. Maguindanao del Sur Governor Bai Mariam Mangudadatu also argued against postponement, noting that BARMM has been operating without oversight on spending, including the allocation of a P500 billion block grant, since its establishment.
Despite the appeal from Comelec, a significant faction within Congress, including Senators Koko Pimentel, Imee Marcos, and political watchdog Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente), opposes postponement. They argue that there is no “urgent or compelling reason” to delay, asserting that regular elections are critical to maintaining a democratic process.
The outcome of Congress’s decision remains uncertain. Should the elections proceed as scheduled, BARMM voters will receive two ballots—one for national and local elections and another for BARMM parliamentary elections.
