Marcos certifies as urgent bill postponing BARMM polls

The BARMM administration building in Cotabato City. (File photo by Allan Jay Quesada – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

By Darryl John Esguerra, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has certified as urgent the proposed measure postponing the parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Presidential Communications Office Acting Secretary Cesar Chavez confirmed Marcos’ certification in a text message to reporters Wednesday.

This as Senate President Francis Escudero disclosed that the President certified the measure seeking the postponement of the BARMM polls.

However, it is unclear which version of the bill was certified urgent.

The Senate version, which passed the upper chamber’s second reading on Tuesday, seeks to move the BARMM polls from May 11, 2025 to October 2025.

On the other hand, the bill that was approved on third and final reading in the House of Representatives proposed to defer the polls to May 2026.

The first parliamentary election in BARMM is set to be held simultaneously with this year’s midterm elections in May.