Comelec wants to start ballot printing for Bangsamoro polls on Sept. 8
Commission on Elections. File photo
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing to start the printing of official ballots for the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections on September 8, 2025.
READ: Comelec suspends printing of ballots for Bangsamoro polls
Comelec Commissioner George Garcia said this on Friday following the suspension of the printing process last August 20 after a bill redistributing the seven parliamentary district seats originally allotted to Sulu province was approved.
“Based on what the project management told us, this could happen this coming September 8 so that we can study it better and see what the full text of the bill really is,” Garcia, speaking in Filipino, said in an interview with reporters.
“Everyone should remember that the copies we got are all unofficial copies or copies of the bill itself. Until the chief minister signs it, we don’t know if these are the final wordings of the bill,” he added.
On the evening of August 19, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament Bill No. 351, which seeks to amend the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 58, was passed on third and final reading.
Under Parliamentary Bill No. 351, the nine parliamentary district seats will be redistributed for Lanao del Sur, five for Maguindanao del Norte, five for Maguindanao del Sur, four for Basilan, four for Tawi-Tawi, three for Cotabato City, and two for the Special Geographic Area.
‘Ballot face to be affected’
According to Garcia, the agency’s project management office has decided to continue studying the said bill, which he said may affect the face of the ballots for the Bangsamoro elections.
“Based on the initial study by our project management office, the ballot face will be affected, not the candidates, but the district or town that originally belonged to one district but looks like it will move and go to another district,” Garcia said.
The Comelec chief likewise noted that they will also adjust the deployment of tools and reconfigure the system for the Bangsamoro elections.
“Because if we don’t do that, the CCS, the consolidation system, which totals all the results, the one from one town, going to that district may not accept it because it is no longer part of that district,” he explained, noting the they will need about 12 days to do the process.
READ: Comelec affirms Oct. 13, 2025 date for BARMM polls
“Question, does the Comelec still have time? Answer, there is. All we will do is increase the number of our personnel, especially at the National Printing Office, where there will be verification of every ballot that will be printed,” he pointed out.
Garcia assured the public that the said development will not affect the Bangsamoro elections, which he said will definitely push through on October 13.
“The elections on October 13 in the Bangsamoro will push through,” said Garcia. /mr
