Bangsamoro parliament member backs poll reset

Philippine News Agency

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)