BARMM rushes parliament seats redistricting ahead of polls
COTABATO CITY—The Bangsamoro Parliament is racing against time for the passage of a regional law that reallocates seven parliamentary seats originally for Sulu province, as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ramps up preparations for the region’s first parliamentary elections in October this year.
Since Sulu is no longer part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the region’s interim lawmaking body, has started holding public consultations as part of its push to finalize a new map of the 32 parliamentary districts, where 80 Members of Parliament (MP) will be elected for the first time.
The reallocation of seven districts intended for Sulu came after the Supreme Court ruled that the province is no longer part of BARMM.
The public consultations involved Parliament Bill Nos. 347 and 351, seeking to amend Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 58 that had allotted seven seats for Sulu. The same law provided three seats for Basilan, eight for Lanao del Sur, four each for Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, three for Tawi-Tawi, two for Cotabato City, and one for the Special Geographic Area.
Call to action
The lawmakers are speaking to constituents in municipalities and villages who would be recipients of additional parliamentary seats for the Oct. 13, 2025, regional elections.
“We want to make sure every community is heard and properly represented and stressed the parliament’s commitment to meeting redistricting deadlines,” said MP Naguib Sinarimbo, who chairs the BTA committee on local government.
Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua has issued a strong call to action on redistricting bills, saying: “This reappropriation is not just an electoral necessity—it is a moral imperative.”
“One of the main reasons for resetting the parliamentary elections from May to October 2025 is the vacuum concerning the seven districts originally intended for Sulu,” Macacua said in a statement.
He added: “While we seek a fair and inclusive resolution for Sulu’s rightful place, the reality is that time is of the essence. The reappropriation is not just an electoral necessity—it is about upholding the sanctity of democratic representation.”
BARMM Election Director Ray Sumalipao said the early passage of the redistricting law would be beneficial to the overall preparation of Comelec.
“Especially if the law is passed earlier, it gives Comelec more time to prepare, particularly for the printing of ballots,” Sumalipao said.
Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia said the reallocation or reapportionment of the seats originally assigned to Sulu should be clear at the soonest for a smooth preparation of the autonomous region’s first parliamentary elections.
“We are still waiting for an update from the parliament of Bangsamoro as to what they should do in the seven seats of Sulu,” Garcia said in a forum after his meeting with BARMM officials at the Manila Hotel last month.
Under Bangsamoro Organic Law, each parliamentary district must represent at least 100,000 people and be composed of adjacent and compact areas.
Despite the pressure, lawmakers said they were determined to deliver.
Bangsamoro Parliament Speaker Pangalian Balindong said the efforts to finalize the district map represent the final major task of the BTA before it transitions to a fully elected government.
