All sides will be heard on proposal to defer BARMM polls – Escudero

MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Francis Escudero on Wednesday assured that all opinions on the proposed postponement of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) parliamentary polls will all be heard and considered once the upper chamber begins tackling the measure to move the elections from 2025 to 2026. 

“As I said, Malacanang asked to file the bill for the Senate to hear it.  Those who are in favor and those who oppose it will all be heard and their positions and opinions considered and in the end, it will be put to a vote. That is what democracy is all about,” said Escudero in a text message to reporters. 

Escudero, on November 4, filed Senate Bill No. 2862, formalizing his earlier pronouncement to postpone BARMM’s parliamentary elections  in view of the recent Supreme Court ruling excluding Sulu from the regional group. 

In his bill, Escuero said BARMM’s first parliamentary election is scheduled for 2025, but he is pushing to have it moved to May 11, 2026 to allow the region to reconfigure its jurisdictions as well as reallocate the seats of its 80-member parliament following the High Court’s ruling cutting off Sulu from the BARMM.

This, however, was met with opposition from his colleagues, particularly Sen. Imee Marcos and Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel who both emphasized the need to conduct the elections as scheduled.

“It’s a one-page bill that simply seeks [to] postpone the date of the elections by a year. The reasons behind its filing are stated in the explanatory note,” said Escudero.