Bangsamoro MPs back proposal to move BARRM polls to 2026

MANILA, Philippines — At least two members of the Bangsamoro parliament have thrown their support behind a Senate proposal to move the first-ever elections for the autonomous region to 2026.

Bangsamoro MPs Amir Mawallil and Rasol Mitmug backed the bill filed by Senate President Francis Escudero to defer the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARRM) parliamentary polls to May 11, 2026.

Escudero said this extension will allow the region to reconfigure its jurisdictions as well as reallocate the seven out of 80 seats left by Sulu after the Supreme Court ruled that the province is not part of BARRM.

READ: COC filing begins for BARMM elections despite postponement calls

Adjustment period

Mawalil noted that “the exclusion of Sulu from the BARMM necessitates a reconfiguration of parliamentary representation in the Bangsamoro.”

“Sulu’s seven seats must now be reallocated, and this cannot be addressed adequately without careful legislative redistricting,” he said in a statement.

READ: MILF wants BARMM polls in 2025

Mitmug also said there is a need to revisit the districts and seat allocation.

“The current setup must be adjusted, and extending the electoral timeline to 2026 allows us the time needed to address this with precision,” he further explained.

The Bangsamoro Organic Law said the BARRM parliament should have 80 seats.

But only 65 seats are up for grabs for the upcoming autonomous polls, of which 25 are allotted for parliamentary district representatives.

The rest or 40 are reserved for regional parliamentary political parties, which is similar to the party-list system.

Eight of the seats are for sectoral groups, which shall be elected in their own convention or assembly separate from the parliamentary polls.

Then, the seven remaining seats were supposed to be for Sulu which is no longer part of BARRM.

Mitmug and Mawalil said BARRM government employees in Sulu need enough time to adjust after the high court ruling.

“BARMM government employees in Sulu are going through a period of transition, and we need to provide them with the time and support they deserve,” said Mitmug. “Resetting the elections to 2026 will ease their adjustment to this new reality.”

Mawalil said: “Our public servants in Sulu are integral to the BARMM government’s work, and we cannot overlook their needs during this critical transition period. Extending the electoral timeline gives us the opportunity to ensure a smooth shift that maintains service continuity.”

BARRM candidacy filing peaceful

Despite the uncertainty if the BARRM election will push through on May 12, 2025, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said there 109 aspirants for parliamentary district seats, with Lanao del Sur having the highest number at 41; followed by Maguindanao del Norte with 24, Maguindanao del Sur with 15, Tawi-Tawi with 10, Basilan with 14, and five from the BARMM Special Geographic Area.

Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia on Monday said there are no untoward incidents and irregularities during the certificate of candidacy filing from Nov. 4 to Nov 9.

“This shows that our country is getting mature,” Garcia said in an ambush interview in Filipino.