TRACKER: New BARMM parliament receives marching orders ahead of October polls  

Newly appointed BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua urged the Bangsamoro Parliament to act on priority legislation ahead of the autonomous region’s parliamentary elections in October.

The parliament opened its fourth regular session on April 8.

“We do not have the luxury of delay. What we do in the coming months will define this parliament’s legacy. It will shape how the people remember our stewardship of transition and how they look to the Bangsamoro Parliament,” Macacua told Members of Parliament (MPs) during the ceremonial opening in Cotabato City.

Topping Macacua’s list is the reappropriation of the region’s parliamentary districts, seven of which were left vacant after the Supreme Court excluded Sulu province the region.

Next on the list is the Bangsamoro Revenue Code, the sole remaining priority legislation yet to be enacted by the Parliament.

Here is the full list:

• Reappropriation of the seven district seats previously allotted for Sulu;
• Bangsamoro Revenue Code;
• Budget System Law;
• Energy Development Corporation of the Bangsamoro;
• Bangsamoro Gender and Development Code;
• Magna Carta for Persons with Disabilities in BARMM;
• Bangsamoro Labor Code;
• Bangsamoro Code of Muslim Personal Laws;
• Bangsamoro Investment Code;
• Institutionalization of da’wah in BARMM governance;
• Lake Lanao Rehabilitation and Development Authority; and
• Regional Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Mechanism.

It’s crunch time for MPs, also known as members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), who have at least 19 session days left to deliberate and finalize these measures before parliament adjourns on August 28.

The BTA has been tasked with enacting laws for the six-year-old BARMM and guiding its transition to a post-conflict society. The regional polls in October will mark the end of the transition, as elected individuals are set to replace the appointed members.

The 80-seat body currently has one vacancy after former chief minister Ahod “Al Hadj Murad” Ebrahim declined his appointment. He is also the chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. attended the ceremony. He said Ebrahim will recommend a replacement to fill the vacant seat.

Macacua maintained that the interim government remains to be led by the MILF, in keeping with the Bangsamoro Organic Law. He also vowed to “never lead with partiality” and instead “will lead with fairness and deep respect for everyone’s voice in this Parliament.” — Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org

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BTA urged to amend law for the distribution of Sulu’s 7 seats 

by Guinevere Latoza
Feb. 25, 2024

The Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) is urging the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to amend the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 28 to distribute the seven seats originally allocated for Sulu. 

“We urge the Bangsamoro Parliament to ensure that the amendment process is consultative, inclusive and transparent through the public consultations that will be conducted,’’ it said in a statement on Sunday, Feb. 23. 

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last week signed a law postponing the regional polls from May 12 to Oct. 13, 2025. It came five months after the Supreme Court decided to exclude Sulu from the BARMM in September, prompting lawmakers to craft the measure.

The election watchdog also recommended the following measures:

• The Commission on Elections should reopen the registration or accreditation process for political parties and the Bangsamoro should also reopen the certification process for sectoral organizations
• The BARMM ballot design should feature party logos, candidate photos and a “None of the Above” option
• Regional political parties should release a comprehensive voter education plan early 
• So-called certifying ministries in the Bangsamoro government should issue clear guidelines for sectoral assemblies

“Additionally, the Comelec… must issue a detailed voter education roadmap well in advance of the new election date in collaboration with political parties, civil society organizations and other institutions,’’ LENTE said. 

Republic Act (RA) No. 12123, or the law postponing the BARMM polls, directs Comelec to only open the certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the seven seats should these be redistributed.

Aspirants who filed their COCs and political party nominees who already manifested their intent to participate in the regional elections last year will be the only ones considered as candidates in October.

The Parliament is composed of 80 seats: 40 for regional political party members, 32 for district representatives across the region’s six provinces, and eight for sectoral representatives.

The eight sectoral representatives are composed of the following: two each from non-Moro Indigenous Peoples and settler communities, and one each from the women, youth, traditional leaders and Ulama sectors.

The Bangsamoro Government, led by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, welcomed the passing of RA 12123.

“We remain committed to upholding democratic principles, fostering meaningful political participation, and maximizing the transition period to establish a more stable and effective government for the Bangsamoro,” Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim said in a Feb. 22 statement. — PCIJ.org

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Marcos signs law postponing BARMM polls to Oct. 13, 2025

by Guinevere Latoza
Feb. 21, 2024

Malacañang has signed into law the measure postponing the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to October 13, 2025.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) received a copy of Republic Act No. 12123 entitled An Act Resetting the First Regular Elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Amending for the Purpose Section 13, Article XVI of Republic Act. No. 11054, as Amended, Otherwise Known as the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The law was signed on February 19.

The elections on October 13 will not be considered “special elections” but a continuation of the National and Local Elections (NLE). Comelec will be funding the separate BARMM elections using its 2025 budget.

The law desynchronized the first BARMM elections from the NLE but the succeeding elections in the region will follow the regular NLE schedule.

The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) “shall continue as the interim government in the BARMM… unless such interim members are replaced by the President or their tenure is shortened by their election to a different office.”

According to PCIJ sources, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will be appointing a few members to the BTA before the election ban.

The law also orders BARMM to disburse the shares of Sulu province in the 2025 annual block grant in accordance with the rules of the Department of Budget and Management.

The candidates who filed their certificates of candidacy in November 2024 will be automatically considered as candidates and nominees.

Comelec will no longer open the filing of Certificates of Candidacy for the October 2025 elections, except for the seats allocated to Sulu.

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Congress ratifies postponement of BARMM polls to Oct. 13, 2025

by Guinevere Latoza
Feb. 5, 2024

The House of Representatives on Wednesday, February 5, also ratified the measure postponing the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to Oct. 13, 2025. — PCIJ.org

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Senate ratifies postponement of BARMM polls to Oct. 13, 2025

by Guinevere Latoza
Feb. 4, 2024

(UPDATED) The Senate version prevailed

The Senate on Tuesday evening, February 4, ratified a measure resetting the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to Oct. 13, 2025.

A bicameral conference committee met on Tuesday morning to reconcile the different provisions in the bills separately approved by the country’s two legislative chambers.

Senate President Francis Escudero abandoned his initial proposal to postpone the polls to May 11, 2026. It’s the date adopted by the House of Representatives.

“Masyado na matagal (It’s too long),” Escudero said.

“Kapag one year, may sapat na namang panahon ang Kongreso para i-reset ulit ‘yan. Mas maikli, mas maganda pa sa akin para wala nang panahon na i-reset pang muli. Dapat matuloy na ang halalan sa BARMM (If it’s one year, Congress would have enough time to reset it again. For me, the shorter, the better, so there would be no time to reset it once more. The elections in BARMM should push through,” he said.

The bicameral conference committee also approved the following provisions:

• The succeeding BARMM elections will be synchronized with the national and local elections
• Members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) interim government will serve until their successors are elected and qualified
• BARMM will disburse the shares of Sulu province in the annual block grant in accordance with the rules of the Department of Budget and Management
• The Commission on Elections will no longer open the filing of Certificates of Candidacy for the October 2025 elections, except for the seats allocated to Sulu
• The candidates who filed their certificates of candidacy in November 2024 will be automatically considered as candidates and nominees

Escdero cited “security reasons” as primary reason to desynchronize the regional elections from the national elections.

“Manipis ang allocation ng ating security forces dahil kasabay ng halalan. ‘Yung sapat na panahon ang hinihingi ng security at election officials para ma-reposition yun ating security at election officials,” Escudero said.

In the House of Representatives, Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman rejected the postponement of the BARMM polls. He was the last governor of BARMM’s predecessor, the Autonomour Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“If we really want lasting peace, let us regularize everything. Let’s make leaders accountable to the people,” he told PCIJ.

Hataman also raised concerns about the constitutionality of separating the BARMM polls from the national elections.

“Bahala na ang Supreme Court diyan,” Hataman said. — Carmela Fonbuena and Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org

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Senate, House to convene bicam to decide date of BARMM polls postponement

by Guinevere Latoza
Feb. 3, 2024

With two session days left before the May 2025 midterm elections, the Senate on February 3 finally passed on third and final reading a measure postponing the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) from May 12 to Oct. 13, 2025.

Senators voted 18-1 to approve Senate Bill (SB) No. 2942.

The Senate version is different from the House version. A bicameral conference committee meeting, scheduled on February 4, will decide the final date of the BARMM elections.

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong told the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) the House will press for its version of the bill.

House Bill (HB) No. 11144 proposes to postpone the BARMM polls to May 11, 2026. It is the original date proposed by Senate President Francis Escudero when he filed a postponement bill last November.

Apart from the date, the panel will decide whether members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, the region’s interim government, will be replaced or will continue to serve until the elections are held.

HB 11144 proposes for the president to reappoint the members once the law passes, while SB 2942 moves for a holdover term.

The bicameral committee will also determine whether or not the aspirants who filed for the parliamentary polls in November 2024 will still be considered candidates during the rescheduled date.

Lawmakers said a postponement is needed to address issues that arose from the September 2024 decision of the Supreme Court that excluded Sulu from BARMM. Seven parliamentary district seats were previously assigned to the province.

“The passage of this bill will prove some breathing room to deal with the consequences of that decision. In other words, it is a pit stop on the road to peace,” said bill sponsor Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito.

“It is not a dead end as some have unfairly characterized it. Nor will this bill become an (unlimited) extension. This is our commitment,” he said.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, considered the father of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, also supported the postponement. However, he did not support the date approved by the Senate, saying a longer extension was needed.

“I respect our dear sponsor, our dear friend Senator JV. I know the wish of upstairs was to keep it short and not too long. And I’m still hoping that we can still extend it a bit,” Zubiri said.

Zubiri proposed that a plebiscite is held before the BARMM polls to ask Sulu voters if they want to reintegrate into the autonomous region. — Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org

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Senate approves on 3rd reading postponement of BARMM polls to Oct. 13, 2025

Jan. 29, 2024

Voting 18-1, the Senate on February 3 approved on third and final reading a bill postponing the parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) from May 12 to October 13, 2025.

The Senate version is different from the House version. A bicameral committee will decide the final date of the BARMM elections. — Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org

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Comelec delays reprinting of 2.3M BARMM ballots

by Guinevere Latoza
Jan. 29, 2024

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has deferred the reprinting of the ballots for the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. certified as urgent the senate bill postponing the regional elections.  

“(Comelec is delaying the printing of BARMM parliamentary election) ballots to observe in the meantime the legislative actions happening in Congress. We can print it anytime po since it’s only 2.3M ballots po. Hindi lang po isinama sa mga unang regions na naiprint, pansamantala,” Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco told the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

(“It isn’t included in the ballot printing for the first few regions, for the time being.”)  

The House of Representatives passed in December House Bill No. 11144 which proposes a one-year extension of the BARMM elections. The Senate is expected to pass on third and final reading next week its version, which seeks a five-month extension. 

Before the Senate plenary passed Senate Bill No. 2942 on second reading on Tuesday night, Senate President Francis Escudero disclosed that the President has certified the measure as urgent.

“May cinertify si Pangulong Marcos na BARMM election postponement (as urgent)… Inaasahan namin na yan ay maaprubahan on second reading ngayon para ma-third reading namin next week na hindi na ginagamit yung certification. Pero kung kinakailangan, gagamitin namin yung certification,” Escudero said.

(“President Marcos certified the BARMM election postponement (as urgent)… We expect it to be approved on second reading today so we can succeed with the third reading next week without needing the certification. But we can still use it if needed.”) — Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org

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Senate approves on 2nd reading postponement of BARMM polls to Oct. 13, 2025

by Guinevere Latoza
Jan. 28, 2024

The Senate on January 28 approved on second reading a bill postponing the parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) from May 12 to October 13, 2025.

The Senate version is different from the House version. If the bill hurdles third and final reading, which Senate President Francis Escudero said would happen next week, a bicameral committee will decide the final date of the BARMM elections.

Senate Bill No. 2942 proposes to separate BARMM’s first regular elections from the midterm elections in May, but succeeding elections will be synchronized with the country’s national and local elections.

The first batch of elected BARMM officials will serve from October 30, 2025 to June 30, 2028.

Under the Senate bill, aspirants who filed their candidacies and accredited parties that submitted their intent to participate last November will be “automatically considered as candidates and nominees in the October 2025 election.”

Members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority will also continue to serve in a holdover capacity until elected members of parliament hold office on October 30.

An earlier version of the bill sought to legislate the desynchronization of the BARMM parliamentary elections from the national and local polls. Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel rejected it.

“I have to vote no to this proposal. Last time we stated it would be the last resetting… and then we are permanently desynchronizing the BARMM elections with the national elections,” said the Senate minority leader.

The bill was passed on second reading despite Pimentel’s objection, but the Senate re-opened the period of amendments later in the evening to synchronize the succeeding BARMM elections with the national and local polls.

Four senators said five months won’t be enough to resolve issues caused by Sulu’s exclusion from BARMM, however.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri urged the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, to postpone the elections for at least six months. 

“I think the sponsor is getting pressure from many quarters to shorten it… I’m not here to object (to) the sponsor. I’m just appealing to him if we can even make it six months,” he said.

Zubiri is pushing for a plebiscite that asks Sulu voters if they want to reintegrate into the BARMM. He wants it to happen before the regional elections.

Ejercito said the date can still be changed during the bicameral committee meeting: “I also briefed the (BARMM) Chief Minister (Ahod Ebrahim) and Presidential Peace Adviser (Carlito Galvez) that there is still hope in the bicam. That will be the last hope… The House of Representatives version has it at one year. If we pass this measure at five months, then more often than not we have a compromise.” — Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org

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Senate ends interpellation on BARMM polls postponement

by Guinevere Latoza
Jan. 27, 2024

The Senate on Monday night, Jan. 27, closed its interpellation on the bill postponing the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) from May 12 to Aug. 11 this year.  

Senate Bill No. 2942 could still face amendments as senators expressed that a three-month extension will not be enough to resolve electoral issues caused by Sulu’s exclusion from the region.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, sponsor of the measure, admitted that three months was his committee’s “compromise” for those supporting and opposing the postponement of the BARMM elections, but that it  is “too short.”  

“My recommendation is that one year will give them enough time already to be able to do all of these things that need to be done to address all these legal issues,” said Ejercito, chair of the committee on local government.  

House Bill (HB) No. 11144, the lower chamber’s counterpart measure, seeks to defer the parliamentary elections to May 11, 2026. A one-year extension is also the position of the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.

Ejercito also pushed for the current members of the interim Bangsamoro government to have a holdover term.

“It will be advisable for them to be on a holdover because if the President would still appoint new Members of Parliament, sayang po yung oras. (There is a) learning curve. Wala na ho silang magagawa in so short a time,” he said.

HB 11144, on the other hand, seeks to change the composition of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority once the law is approved.

In the Senate version, only individuals who filed their certificates of candidacy in October last year will be recognized. But this can still change if the elections are extended next year. The House version is silent on the matter.

“According to the Comelec (Commission on Elections) earlier – we had a discussion – if it reaches about six months to one year, it is possible to… reopen the filing of the certificates of candidacy. But if it’s less than six months, kung three months po talagang matutuloy na po or shorter, hindi na ho pwede,” Ejercito said.

The Senate has to pass the bill before it adjourns on Feb. 7. 

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Senate committee proposes to reset BARMM polls to August 11, 2025

by Guinevere Latoza
Jan. 22, 2024

The bill postponing the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) reached the Senate plenary early evening on Wednesday, January 22, after senators sat on the measure for over two months.

Senate Bill (S.B.) No. 2942 proposes to reset the elections to August 11, 2025.

The proposed date surprised several Bangsamoro stakeholders. The House of Representatives earlier proposed to reset the elections to May 2026.

Reactions have been mixed so far. A House leader told PCIJ he does not agree with the Senate proposal. A Bangsamoro analyst said the question is whether or not S.B. 2942 is the version preferred by Malacañang.

If the committee proposal is approved in the Senate, a bicameral conference committee meeting will be required to reconcile the different provisions.

“After careful deliberation and consultation with all stakeholders, we have arrived with a committee report that we feel is truly acceptable and inclusive,” Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, said in his sponsorship speech.

“Under the proposed measure, the BARMM elections will now be set on the 11^th day of August 2025, three months from its supposed schedule,” Ejercito said.

Ejercito said the new date will give the Commission on Elections enough time to prepare and the current Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) members “to “wind up their transactions.”

“In accordance with their mandate, the members of the BTA shall serve until their successors have been elected and sworn into office,” Ejercito said.

The House version proposes to change the composition of the BTA as soon as the law is passed.

It is unclear when Ejercito’s committee approved the measure on first reading.

Ejercito held a hearing on Wednesday to discuss special non-working holidays; however, the postponement of the BARMM polls was not in the schedule published on the Senate website. — Carmela Fonbuena/PCIJ.org

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Comelec asked why candidates do not have photos in BARMM ballots

by Guinevere Latoza
Jan. 18, 2024

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said over two million ballots for the parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) might still be saved from destruction if they are unaffected by a Supreme Court decision that stopped the disqualification of a number of senatorial and local candidates.

Garcia said that they will wait for the recommendation of their information and technology department to determine whether or not the BARMM ballots can still be used.

However, election watchdog Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) has asked the poll body to explain the absence of candidates’ photos and the option for voters to vote “None of the Above” on the ballot.

These features are required “as far as practicable” under Section 14, Article 4, Chapter 1 of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code (BEC).

“As stipulated in the BEC, the ballot design should include each candidate’s photo or party logo. This provision is intended to help voters better express their political will, particularly in a region where the functional literacy rate is significantly lower than the national average,” LENTE wrote in a letter to Comelec last Jan. 10.

Lente said the option to vote “None of the Above” is important because it is a “safeguard for voters who may not feel represented by any of the candidates, allowing them to fully exercise their right to suffrage and political will in a more meaningful way.”

Comelec initially released ballot face samples across different localities in its website last week. Ballots for BARMM only include candidates’ names and instructions in English, Arabic, and Filipino.

Comelec is set to reprint ballots for the 2025 national and local elections on Monday, Jan. 20, after the Supreme Court ordered them to include some candidates that were previously disqualified. No orders were issued in relation to the BARMM elections.

The 2.3 million ballots, which cost about P50.6 million, cover all voters in the region. “As far as the Comelec is concerned, we have printed the ballots. Tapos na namin ang ballots ng Bangsamoro,” Garcia told the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism before the release of the SC decision.

The House of Representatives passed a bill last year resetting BARMM’s elections to 2026. The fate of the measure hangs in the Senate. — Guinevere Latoza

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Marcos, senators urged to make up their minds on BARMM polls 

by Carmela Fonbuena
Jan. 8, 2024

Supporters and critics of the postponement of the polls in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), as well as neutral analysts, are in agreement. Malacañang and the senators should make up their minds already.

“I hope the Senate will see the urgency of this bill. They have to decide already on the resetting so that we can remove the impasse,” Presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. told the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) in an interview on Jan. 7.

I hope the Senate will see the urgency of this bill. They have to decide already on the resetting so that we can remove the impasse.

The House of Representatives passed a measure 1) to reset the elections to May next year and 2) to change the makeup of the transitional government before the May 2025 elections.

The Senate had one committee hearing to deliberate the proposal last year. Congress will resume sessions next week, Jan. 13, after a holiday break. 

Galvez had pushed for the postponement of the regional polls. “If you will take my opinion, I will really work for the resetting because there are compelling reasons,” Galvez said.

“There are events that we need to reconsider… because this BARMM election is our first BARMM election. It should be peaceful,” he said, emphasizing the importance of protecting the BARMM as an “international model” for  peace processes.

Disrupted preparations

Benedicto Bacani, executive director of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance, said the impasse has disrupted election preparations and voter information drive. 

“Palace has to make up its mind soonest. This measure was initiated by Malacanang. Will it still push it?” Bacani said.

“Our leaders have to settle this issue once and for all hopefully by next week. Otherwise, the peaceful democratic process of choosing leaders in the BARMM as envisioned in peace agreements and the BOL will be in great peril,” Bacani said. 

Palace has to make up its mind soonest. This measure was initiated by Malacanang.

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Senate President Francis Escudero pulled a surprise on Nov. 4, the first day of filing for intent to participate in the parliamentary polls, when he filed a bill postponing the BARMM elections. House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez also later filed an identical bill.  

The bills were filed following a meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos and BARMM governors.

Malacañang had since tried to distance itself from the bills filed by its two allies. Before the New Year, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin told reporters it is up to Congress to decide on the bill.

Galvez said Marcos is committed to the peace process. “Ang [instruction] naman ni Presidente is to really study the implication or outcome of this. And we have seen that the outcome of this resetting is more favorable for us,” said Galvez. 

Security implications

Georgi Engelbrecht, Philippine-based senior analyst of the International Crisis Group, said there’s a need to understand the scale and prepare for potential violence during the polls. 

“The earlier we know, the better it would be,” Engelbrecht told PCIJ.  

“A decision, whichever it is, would clarify the state of play for the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front), the local politicians, the political parties and of course the communities,” he said.

“It will be crucial to know whether the region will have parliamentary polls, especially given the security implications of elections proceeding,” he added.

It will be crucial to know whether the region will have parliamentary polls, especially given the security implications of elections proceeding.

Engelbrecht warned about “the clear and present danger of local violence in the Bangsamoro” in an opinion piece published in MindaNews.

Comelec begins printing of ballots

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) earlier urged Congress to decide before its Dec. 13 deadline to finalize the list of candidates for the 2025 national and local elections.

The poll body began printing ballots for the May polls on Monday, January 6.

There’s no deadline, Comelec chairman George Garcia told PCIJ. “If it is not postponed, may ballots po kami (we will have ballots),” he said.

There is no deadline. If it is not postponed, we will have ballots.

Congress will have four weeks to pass and ratify the proposal before it adjourns session again on February 7, ahead of the campaign period starting on February 12. The lawmakers will not return until June 2, after the elections.

The MILF, the former rebel group now leading the transition government, initially opposed the postponement. 

BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, after a dialogue with Marcos, issued a statement in support of postponing the elections. But he sought a two-year postponement and the extension of the terms of the current members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).

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BARMM polls postponement to 2026 hurdles House on final reading

by Guinevere Latoza
Dec. 17, 2024

The House of Representatives on Tuesday, December 17, passed on third and final reading a bill postponing the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to May 11, 2026.

Voting 198-4, the legislative chamber passed House Bill 11144 a day before Congress adjourned for the holidays.

The bill mandates the immediate reappointment of the members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the interim government of the region.

It also allows Sulu’s continued access to BARMM’s block grant until 2025.

In a September 2024 decision, the Supreme Court excluded Sulu from the BARMM because a majority of its voters rejected the law that created the region. The high court said the decision was made knowing that the election could not be postponed.

Nevertheless, the SC decision was still cited by lawmakers as the main reason to push for the delay of the regional election, which was originally set for May 2022.

It took the House a little over a month to decide on the postponement. It was Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez’s bill, filed on November 4, that triggered the postponement talks in the House.

Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman voted against the postponement. He said there was a lack of consultation among Bangsamoro residents. Earlier, he inserted a provision allowing Sulu’s continued access to the block grant.

“Malinaw sa lahat, walang naging malawakang konsultasyon at inamin na ito ng sponsor (Lanao del Sur representative Zia Adiong)… Hindi nakuhanan ng sentimyento ang populasyon ng ating rehiyon. Walang naging pagtitipon ng mga batayang sektor,” he said.

The Bangsamoro lawmaker also warned that desynchronizing the region’s first regular elections from the national elections is unconstitutional.

“Desynchronizing the elections again is a long step backward in the journey of the Bangsamoro towards strengthening our institutions and becoming a more mature democracy.”

Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas and ACT party-list Rep. France Castro also voted against the postponement. They said it’s high time for BARMM residents to choose their leaders.

They also pointed out that over 100 individuals and a number of political parties have already formalized their intent to run in the regional elections.

In the Senate, the counterpart bill is still stuck at the committee level. Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections is set to print the ballots for the 2025 national and local elections on January 6. — PCIJ.org

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House plenary starts debates on bill seeking to postpone BARMM polls

by Guinevere Latoza
Dec. 9, 2024

The House of Representatives on Monday, December 9, approved on second reading a proposal to postpone the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

House Bill 11144 aims to reset BARMM polls from May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2026.

Two major amendments were introduced to the bill on Monday.

Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman’s proposal to allow the province of Sulu to continue utilizing funds from the BARMM’s block grant next year was accepted.

A September 2024 Supreme Court ruling excluded Sulu from the autonomous region based on its “no” vote in the plebiscite to create BARMM in 2019.

The House also approved Hataman’s proposal to make sure that BARMM’s elections will be automated. He said this will ensure the integrity of the results of the elections.

The earlier version of the bill did not specify the mode of conducting the elections.

“Based on our experience, the more the election results are delayed, the more vulnerable they become to chaos… That’s why even during the committee hearing, we emphasized that we should not… agree to make it manual,” Hataman said.

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adiong, the bill’s sponsor, said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is bound to spend P1.7 billion to conduct the separate elections in the BARMM.

The approval came four days before the Commission on Election’s December 13 deadline to finalize the list of candidates for the 2025 national and local elections.

Senate President Francis Escudero earlier said he expected Malacañang to certify the bill as urgent. – PCIJ.org

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House plenary starts debates on bill seeking to postpone BARMM polls

by Guinevere Latoza
Dec. 5, 2024

The House of Representatives plenary opened debates on a proposal to postpone the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Wednesday, December 4, with less than 10 days before a Commission on Elections (Comelec) deadline to finalize the list of candidates for the 2025 national and local elections.

House Bill (HB) No. 11144 seeks to postpone the BARMM elections from May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2026. It was met with opposition.

“We cannot use the exclusion of Sulu from the Supreme Court (SC) ruling as a continued excuse to postpone the elections of the BARMM,” said Bukidon Rep. Keith Flores.

The Mindanao lawmaker drew attention to the top court’s statement that its decision was made “knowing that the elections cannot be postponed.” 

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adong, the bill’s sponsor, argued that the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) needs time to redistrict seven parliamentary seats that were left vacant after the ruling.

Based on the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the parliament should have 80 seats.

To further prove his point, Flores also cited the SC decision in Macalintal vs. Comelec, which laid down guidelines for postponing elections.

An election postponement “must primarily be justified by the need to safeguard the right of suffrage or other fundamental rights, required by a public emergency situation, or other similar important justifications,” read the SC decision.

“Wouldn’t passing this law be going against the express decisions of the SC?” Flores asked.

Adiong stood firm in his belief that Sulu’s exclusion is a compelling reason to reset the elections because “the Parliament cannot simply act and operate without these seven seats.”

Adiong also said that the selection process for sectoral representatives in the Parliament is facing challenges.

“I hope we can come up with a better explanation to avoid another Supreme Court ruling rendering our law unconstitutional,” said Flores, the only lawmaker to make an interpellation on Wednesday.

“While there are good reasons, we still have to come up with a plausible explanation and not disregard our effort to help BARMM as futile because I am still not convinced,” he said.

HB No. 11144 consolidates House Bill Nos. 4213, 4220, and 11034. — Guinevere Latoza

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House panel OKs postponement of BARMM polls to 2026

by Guinevere Latoza
November 25, 2024

The House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms on November 27 approved on first reading proposals to postpone the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

“Our version is May 11, 2026 BARMM elections. It can still be amended once the committee report is delivered in the plenary,” Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adiong told PCIJ.

Three bills were consolidated: House Bill 4213, House Bill 4220, and House Bill 11034.

The House committee approval comes a day after the Supreme Court ruled with finality that Sulu is excluded from BARMM.

The bill is expected to reach the House plenary for debates in the first week December “at the earliest,” according to committee chair Rep. Maximo Dalog.

Our version is May 11, 2026 BARMM elections. It can still be amended once the committee report is delivered in the plenary.

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adiong

Under the bill filed by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Malacañang will appoint new members of the BARMM transition government.

On Wednesday’s committee hearing, BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim proposed to extend the terms of current members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA). He also proposed a two-year postponement of the polls.

Ebrahim argued that retaining the present composition is beneficial since they already possess “institutional memory” of regional laws that need revisiting. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which Ebrahim chairs, dominates the BTA in adherence to the 2014 peace accord between the group and the government.

The MILF initially wanted to push through with the parliamentary elections in 2025. Ebrahim said he changed his mind after talks with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Senate President Francis Escudero, who filed a similar postponement bill in the upper chamber.

“After the pronouncement of the extension, the central committee met and decided that elections must push through. But we did not consider Sulu,” the chief minister told lawmakers.

“After that we engaged with the Senate and the President. The President said that we can’t leave Sulu and we have to redistrict again. That’s why we have another position, both the BTA and the central committee… We are for postponement for 2027 and then a holdover. That is the final position,” he continued.

The President said that we can’t leave Sulu and we have to redistrict again. That’s why we have another position, both the BTA and the central committee… We are for postponement for 2027 and then a holdover. That is the final position.

bARMM Chief minister ahod ‘murad’ ebrahim

Ebrahim said that the BTA  “remains committed to fulfill its function during the transition period including enacting legislations that serve as a foundation for establishing a meaningful system of self-governance one that aligns with the constitution and respects national sovereignty.”

Minister Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF’s chair of the peace agreement’s implementing panel, reminded Congress that an exit agreement on the 2014 peace accord can only be signed once a regular Bangsamoro government is established through an election. — PCIJ.org

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Timeline of postponement proposals

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Comelec reminds Congress of Dec. 13 printing deadline

by Guinevere Latoza
November 25, 2024

Less than three weeks before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) finalizes the list of candidates for the 2025 elections on December 13, Congress has yet to decide on the proposed postponement of the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The Supreme Court’s (SC) exclusion of Sulu from the region on Sept. 9 triggered moves to reset the parliamentary polls from May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2026.

Former rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which leads the BARMM transition, issued a resolution calling for the elections to push through next year. However, its top leaders have issued contrasting personal views.

A representative of BARMM Chief Minister Ahod "Murad" Ebrahim said the MILF chairman proposed a two-year delay in the elections. He also proposed that the terms of the current BTA members be extended.

Several civil society groups issued statements opposing the postponement, saying it will deprive the Bangsamoro people of their right to vote.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body will continue to prepare for the BARMM elections, pending the decision of Congress. — PCIJ.org