Connect with us

News

Bangsamoro parliament member backs poll reset

Published

on

Philippine News Agency

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao administration building in Cotabato City.

The proposals came after the recent Supreme Court decision excluding Sulu from the BARMM. (File Photo: Bangsamoro Government/Facebook)

MANILA – Member of Bangsamoro Parliament Teng Ambolodto today expressed his total support for the proposal of Senate President Francis Escudero and the leadership of the House of Representatives to reset the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections for another year.

Escudero has introduced Senate Bill No. 2862, proposing to postpone the first regular elections in the BARMM from May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2026.

House Speaker Martin Romualdez also filed House Bill No. 11034, which mirrors Escudero’s proposal.

The proposals came after the recent Supreme Court decision excluding Sulu from the BARMM.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling on the exclusion of Sulu introduces critical legal and administrative challenges. Given the complexity of these issues, additional time is needed to ensure a fair and transparent election process,” Ambolodto said in a news release Sunday.

Ambolodto said the exclusion of Sulu has created the need for significant adjustments to the electoral districts and overall election planning.

He said the affected areas will need to be reconfigured to reflect the new political landscape and logistical planning must be adjusted to accommodate changes.

Ambolodto pointed out that motions for reconsideration of the high court’s ruling have been filed by various parties.

“While the motions for reconsideration are still pending, the reality is that the process of implementing the ruling, whether the decision is upheld or modified, will require time and careful planning. Holding the elections in 2025 would not allow sufficient time to make these critical adjustments,” he said.

“Resetting the election to 2026 provides the necessary time to ensure that the electoral process is not rushed and can be conducted with the integrity it deserves.”

If the motions for reconsideration are resolved in favor of maintaining the exclusion of Sulu, the affected electoral districts must be redrawn and the logistical plan must be adjusted accordingly to ensure fair representation of the remaining provinces in BARMM, he said.

He said if the motions are favorably considered and Sulu’s inclusion is not disturbed, then the status quo ante would have to be maintained.

In either case, the adjustments will require significant planning, legal revisions, and coordination, Ambolodto said.

He said the proposed reset to 2026 will allow the Commission on Elections and the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to redraw parliamentary districting, conduct voters’ education and focus on regional priorities. (PR)

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maria in Vancouver

Lifestyle1 week ago

Nobody Wants This…IRL (In Real Life)

Just like everyone else who’s binged on Netflix series, “Nobody Wants This” — a romcom about a newly single rabbi...

Lifestyle2 weeks ago

Family Estrangement: Why It’s Okay

Family estrangement is the absence of a previously long-standing relationship between family members via emotional or physical distancing to the...

Lifestyle2 months ago

Becoming Your Best Version

By Matter Laurel-Zalko As a woman, I’m constantly evolving. I’m constantly changing towards my better version each year. Actually, I’m...

Lifestyle2 months ago

The True Power of Manifestation

I truly believe in the power of our imagination and that what we believe in our lives is an actual...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

DECORATE YOUR HOME 101

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Our home interiors are an insight into our brains and our hearts. It is our own collaboration...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Guide to Planning a Wedding in 2 Months

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Are you recently engaged and find yourself in a bit of a pickle because you and your...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Staying Cool and Stylish this Summer

By Matte Laurel-Zalko I couldn’t agree more when the great late Ella Fitzgerald sang “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.”...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

Ageing Gratefully and Joyfully

My 56th trip around the sun is just around the corner! Whew. Wow. Admittedly, I used to be afraid of...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

My Love Affair With Pearls

On March 18, 2023, my article, The Power of Pearls was published. In that article, I wrote about the history...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

7 Creative Ways to Propose!

Sometime in April 2022, my significant other gave me a heads up: he will be proposing to me on May...