Comelec: Diplomatic corps ‘very concerned’ about BARMM peace, order

Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia speaks at the briefing for the diplomatic corps on the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections on Wednesday, November 5, 2025. (Photo by Comelec/Viber)

MANILA, Philippines — Diplomatic corps in the Philippines needed to be informed of the updates on the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections as they are “very concerned” about the peace and order situation of the region, according to Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Erwin Garcia on Wednesday.

Garcia said that around 60 diplomatic corps members attended the briefing conducted by the poll body on the same day, emphasizing that this event was a good opportunity for them to listen and ask important questions concerning the parliamentary elections.

“Very much. Very much concerned with peace and order,” Garcia answered in an interview when asked if the foreign representatives expressed concern about the region’s peace and order.

READ: Supreme Court pushes back BARMM parliamentary polls

Garcia noted that holding the briefing is an obligation of the poll body as the diplomatic corps extended assistance in many forms to the region, such as the deployment of scholars and observers and financial or technical aid.

“‘The Bangsamoro, since it was created and there had been a peace agreement, there had been many countries helping the region for us to realize the peace in the region,” Garcia added in Filipino.

During the briefing, Garcia provided reports and the status of the parliamentary elections in the region. This includes the latest developments, such as the recent postponement of the elections and the lack of a redistricting law to trigger the poll body’s preparations.

Last October 1, the Supreme Court (SC) postponed the elections, which were scheduled on October 13, 2025, after it ruled that the recent redistricting law, Bangsamoro Autonomous Act (BAA) No. 77, and its predecessor, BAA No. 58 are unconstitutional.

The SC directed the BTA to determine the distribution of district parliamentary seats by October 30 while the Comelec should conduct the elections no later than March 31, 2026.

The SC, through its spokesperson, Atty. Camille Ting, said that “a new and valid districting law must be passed consistent with the Bangsamoro Organic Law [BOL], national law, and the Constitution.”

READ: Comelec: BTA has until Nov. 30 to pass redistricting law

However, Garcia on Tuesday said that the Bangsamoro Transition Authority failed to comply with the October 30 deadline primarily set by the SC, but he noted that the parliament still has until November 30 to pass a redistricting law. He added that a redistricting bill had been approved in the second reading, while two others were consolidated.

BAA No. 77, signed into law last August 28, is the law that redistributed seven seats originally allocated to Sulu. The Supreme Court earlier ruled to exclude Sulu from the region after the province rejected the ratification of the BOL in a plebiscite. Meanwhile, the BAA No., 58 created the parliamentary districts in the region.

The BARMM Parliament has 80 seats, of which 40 seats are allocated for party representatives, 32 for single-member parliamentary districts, and eight for sectoral representatives.

Garcia noted that after a redistricting law is passed, the poll body can proceed to reopen the filing of certificates of candidacy in the first week of January 2026 and printing of ballots in February 2026. /mr