BARMM elections deferral will allow OPAPRU to reduce security threats

By Wilnard Bacelonia, Philippine News Agency

FILE: Bangsamoro Government Center, Cotabato City (Photo: Bangsamoro Government/Facebook)

MANILA – The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) on Thursday appealed to senators to support Senate Bill 2862, which seeks to postpone the elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to ensure continued peace, development, and progress in the region.

During the first public hearing on the measure by the Senate Committee on Local Government, Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. pointed out that the deferral of the elections in the region would allow the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to refine existing policies and codes, as well as complete the decommissioning of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants.

“Resetting the BARMM elections gives us ample time to address concerns that come with Sulu’s exclusion from the BARMM and ensure the Bangsamoro government’s resilience and readiness to lead,” Galvez told the panel.

Filed by Senate President Francis Escudero, the bill seeks to reset the first BARMM elections from May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2026.

Galvez said the OPAPRU is also conducting full-blown socioeconomic interventions in the region as part of their normalization and transformation programs.

“The election reset will allow us to give considerable focus to these socioeconomic programs rather than a divided concentration on the election that may compromise our ongoing efforts,” he said.

Comelec’s perspective

Meanwhile, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Garcia also raised significant points about whether to pursue or postpone the BARMM elections.

Garcia pointed out that under Republic Act 11054, or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the Bangsamoro Parliament shall be composed of 80 representatives – 40 to be elected based on their political parties; eight based on their sector representation; and 32 based on their parliamentary district.

Sulu, which has been excluded by the Supreme Court from the region, had seven representatives in the Bangsamoro Parliament.

“Pwede bang mag-proceed ang Comelec sa halalan gayong ang nakalagay sa batas ay 80 (Can the Comelec proceed with the elections when it is stated in the law that it should be 80)?” Garcia said.

“Isa po yan sa napakalaking problema namin sapagkat baka maya-maya kapag po kami ay nag-proceed sa 73, tapos biglang nagsabi ngayon na 80 pa rin, may problema po kami kung paano babalik sa 80 (That is one of the very big problems we have because if we proceed with 73 and it would suddenly be decided that it should still be 80, we will have a problem on how to bring it back to 80).”

Another issue for the Comelec is the 63 former barangays of Cotabato province that voted to be included in BARMM, which Garcia fears would remain disenfranchised if the BARMM elections push through next year.

“Ang hope nga po namin kung talagang yun ang wish ng Congress na i-defer at i-postpone ang ating halalan, sana doon sa isang taon lang na yun ay maisagawa itong mga legal issue na ito (It is our hope that if it is really Congress’ wish to defer and postpone the election, I hope that in just one year, these legal issues would be resolved),” he said.

After filing the bill, Escudero admitted that it should be discussed carefully as it may also require substantial corrections of existing laws, particularly the BOL and the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Districts Act.