Activists urge Palace, Congress to move BARMM polls to 2028

MARAWI CITY—A group of Maranao activists has called on President Marcos and leaders of Congress to again postpone the regional parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) so that its schedule aligns with the local and national elections.

According to Abulkhair Alibasa, lead convener of Convergence of Bangsamoro Advocates in the Ranaw Region (ConBARR), the schedule of the parliamentary elections must be adjusted to prevent legal questions.

Already, Republic Act No. 12123, which resets the BARMM political exercise from May 12 to Oct. 13 this year is the subject of a petition by former Moro Islamic Liberation Front military spokesman Mustapha “Eid” Kabalu.

In a “Very Urgent Motion,” Kabalu asked the high court to declare the nullity of the measure.

Alibasa told the Inquirer that their group supported the arguments raised by Kabalu’s petition as the measure “is patently unconstitutional” for abbreviating the term of office of members of the Bangsamoro parliament.

Compliance

Under RA 12123, those elected in the Oct. 13 polls will assume office on Oct. 30, and will serve until June 30, 2028.

“That is four months short of a three-year term, which is what the Constitution provides,” Alibasa said.

This was the same observation raised by then Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman when the measure was passed by the House of Representatives in February this year.

The only way for the BARMM elections to be done in a “constitutionally compliant manner” is to hold it in May 2028, synchronized with the general elections in the country, Alibasa said.

“Elections are not merely about dates but (also) about justice, readiness, credibility, and legitimacy, and it is preferable to defer elections, if necessary, to uphold the Constitution and the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) rather than proceed on a schedule that disregards their fundamental intent,” read a ConBARR position paper submitted to the Office of the President.

Under the BOL, the first parliamentary elections in the BARMM was supposed to be held in May 2022, alongside the general elections. However, Congress moved it to May 2025, to allow the interim parliament to complete the required preparations, especially the creation of parliamentary districts throughout the region.

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The second postponement was mainly premised on providing the regional legislature enough time to reallocate the seven parliamentary districts for Sulu after the province was removed from the BARMM by virtue of a Supreme Court ruling in September last year.

But such adjustment is still hanging as the amended measure was approved only at the committee level and not yet acted upon by the plenary.

Alibasa said a third postponement of the regional elections could give enough time to polish the redistricting measure, especially amid calls by provincial governors for an equitable sharing of district seats.

On Monday, Hataman, now governor of Basilan, lamented that his province was seemingly left out in the redistribution of the seven district seats. Hataman said that even if Basilan was qualified to have five district representatives in parliament, per the 2024 census, only four had been allocated to the province.

Of the 80 seats in the parliament, 40 will be filled by party representatives, 32 district representatives and eight sectoral representatives.