Moro Ako loses appeal as Comelec upholds BARMM registration cancellation

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday denied the motion for reconsideration filed by the Moro Ako Party regarding the cancellation of its registration and accreditation as a regional parliamentary political party (RPPP) for the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elections.

On Aug. 4, the Comelec en banc granted petitioner Aladin Abdul’s petition to cancel the Moro Ako Party’s registration as RPPP for the parliamentary elections due to alleged misrepresentation.

In response, the party filed a motion for reconsideration, to which the poll body denied for a “lack of merit.”

Affirming its en banc resolution, the Comelec said, “Registration and Accreditation of Moro Ako Party as RPPP for the purposes of the September 14, 2026 [BARMM parliamentary elections] is hereby cancelled for material misrepresentation.”

READ: Comelec cancels Moro Ako Party registration for 2026 BARMM polls

The petitioner sought to cancel the Moro Ako Party’s registration as RPPP after noting that the party allegedly declared non-existent chapters, particularly city chapters in Cotabato City and Lamitan City, and even municipal chapters in Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur.

READ: Comelec to disqualify BARMM party ahead of Sept. 14 polls

The Moro Ako Party, in its defense, argued that the erroneous province designations were only caused by “typographical errors.”

The party added that the local chapters in Maguindanao del Sur actually exist and were verified by the municipalities’ election officers where it submitted “Affidavits of Existence” of the Acting Provincial Chairmen of Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte.

The Comelec en banc found the party’s defense of typographical errors “flimsy and unacceptable,” leading to the ruling to cancel its registration for the BARMM polls. /jpv