Comelec extends filing period for BARMM elections accreditation

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will extend the filling of applications of political parties and sectoral organizations for the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections. 

The Comelec en banc, in its session on Wednesday, approved the extension of the period for filing of petitions until April 6, 2026. The filing of registrations for the political parties was originally scheduled from March 17 to March 20 while the period for sectoral organizations was set from March 16 to March 23.

READ: Comelec: No stopping BARMM elections

The en banc said it approved the proposed extension in view of the observance of the Eid’l Fitr and the upcoming Holy Week. 

“The proposed extension takes into account the anticipated constraints in operations, mobility, and access to government services arising from the observance of these religious holidays,” an excerpt of the executive session read. 

The extension also aims to give the registrants enough time to review and fully comply with the requirements under the newly promulgated implementing rules and regulations of the poll body.

“The extension is expected to promote broader participation, ensure more orderly and complete submissions, and uphold the Commission’s policy of inclusivity, fairness, and due process in the registration and accreditation process,” it added. 

The Comelec earlier announced that it would hold a new registration process for the political parties and sectoral organizations as their earlier accreditations were nullified by the passage of the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 88 or the amendment of the electoral code of the Bangsamoro region. This means that the 20 accredited political parties and 191 sectoral organizations need to register again. 

New registrants are required to pay a docket fee of P10,600, while previously granted organizations (from 2024) will pay a reduced fee of P600 upon filing their Manifestation in Lieu of Petition for Registration. 

Meanwhile, Garcia shared that based on the poll body’s timeline for preparations for the parliamentary elections, the database should have been completed by June 2026, printing of ballots in July 2026, and deployment of election materials in August. 

This came after the House of Representatives and the Senate separately approved bills seeking to reset the postponed elections to September 14, 2026. /mr