PBBM inks law postponing BARMM polls

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

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

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed into law the measure postponing the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed to Palace reporters the signing of the law, which defers the first regular elections in the BARMM originally scheduled for May this year.

Marcos in January certified as urgent the bill postponing the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections (BPE).

The exclusion of Sulu from the BARMM, an unresolved petition questioning the constitutionality of the Bangsamoro electoral code of 2023, and a request from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for additional time to prepare for the polls were among the reasons for the postponement of the elections.

In October last year, the BTA passed Resolution 641, calling for an extension of its mandate until 2028.

The BTA raised concerns over the holding of elections in 2025 without addressing the issues in the Bangsamoro Region, saying this could result in governance gaps, potentially destabilizing the region’s fledgling autonomous government.

Malacañang has yet to release a copy of the new law.

In an interview on Friday, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the law, Republic Act No. 12123, moved the BPE from May 12 to October 13 this year.

“I was informed by Malacañang earlier that the President already signed the bill postponing the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections from May to October of this year,” Garcia said.

“This means that we will have another election to be conducted separately,” he added.

Garcia said they are still waiting for a copy of the signed law before modifying preparations for the BPE.

He said they need to know first certain provisions in the law, such as the source of the funding for the BPE, on what to do with the parliamentary seats previously assigned to Sulu, and matters regarding procurement of election paraphernalia to be used, among others.

“It is very important that we see the final law as signed by the President,” the Comelec chief said. (with a report from Ferdinand Patinio/PNA)