Prep time for new polls in BARMM not enough
COTABATO CITY—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has admitted that it is still working on a tight timeline in the preparations for the regional parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) even as the Supreme Court reset it from Oct. 13 this year to not later than March 31 next year.
Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia told reporters on Thursday that the six-month period between now and March 31 may seem long but the poll body has a space of only about three months to work on.
He explained that the most critical aspect of the preparations—the creation of new parliamentary districts—is a role reserved only for the BARMM interim parliament.
The sooner a regional law on the creation of districts can be crafted in the parliament, the better for the Comelec’s preparations, according to Garcia.
“All preparations will have to start when there already is a law. Maybe there are some that we can do that have no relation to the law, but most of the activities of the Comelec are done when there is a law on how they will allocate the districts,” he said.
The high court ordered the BARMM parliament to come up with the legislation not later than Oct. 30 after it nullified Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 77, which reconstituted the region’s parliamentary districts after seven seats originally allocated for Sulu were lost when the province was removed from the autonomous region.
In September last year, the high court ruled that Sulu could not be part of the BARMM as the majority of its voters rejected the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
The high court found BAA 77 in violation of the Voter Registration Act as it altered the precincts way after the election period had begun. It also took issue on its failure to observe the rule on contiguity of localities constituted into some districts in Cotabato City, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte.
In recess
The Supreme Court also ruled as an invalid basis for elections BAA 58, the original law creating 32 parliamentary districts, as it was based on an outdated framework, that is, with Sulu still part of the BARMM.
The earliest that a measure can be brought before the parliament would be on the third week of this month when sessions resume.
But Deputy Speaker Omar Yasser Sema said the current two-week recess can be used to “prepare a draft bill” which can then be taken up during the sessions.
He called for the interim regional government to “regroup and assess the situation” in light of the court ruling. He is hoping that Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua will call for a caucus of regional leaders soon so they can agree on ways of moving forward.
The situation will be challenging for the parliament when it resumes session two weeks from now, said Sema, as they will be expected to consider by then the proposed 2026 Bangsamoro Expenditure Program.
“But there will always be a way for us to expedite the process,” Sema said.
He also acknowledged “the predicament that the Comelec is faced with” due to the recent high court ruling. “With new districts to be created, there will surely be a need for filing of candidacies,” Sema said.
Financial losses
Garcia on Thursday said the filing of candidacies adds to their time requirement.
The Comelec preparations for the Oct. 13 polls were based on BAA 58, hence, only 25 of 32 district seats were up for contest, and a total of 73 of 80 parliament seats.
For it, the poll body printed 2.3 million ballots which will be read by automated counting machines similar to those used in the May 2025 midterm elections. The Comelec spent some P500 million for printing and another P500 million for other logistical costs such as delivery and storage of election materials in the BARMM.
“While we are waiting for a new law, all materials that have been deployed in various provinces of the Bangsamoro need to be returned,” Garcia said. “Materials such as indelible ink, batteries, etc., ballots, we need to bring all of it back, and all of these, what we call reverse logistics, need to happen before the end of November,” he added.
“Technically, it turns out that our preparations will only span three months,” Garcia said, although he assured that the Comelec “will definitely comply” with the directive of the Supreme Court.
“We will issue a resolution until tomorrow (Friday) to set aside all preparations, all calendar of activities pertaining to [the] Oct. 13 (elections) subject to modification because we are going to issue a modified calendar of activities in relation to the elections on March 31,” Garcia said.
Reacting to the high court’s ruling, the Office of the President said it respected the decision, recognizing it as “a pivotal step in ensuring that the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections will be conducted on the firmest constitutional and legal foundations.”
“The Palace underscores its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the peace process, strengthening democratic institutions and protecting the political rights of all citizens in the Bangsamoro,” it said. —WITH A REPORT FROM DEXTER CABALZA
