Comelec not applying law on BARMM’s parliamentary seats redistribution
Commission on Elections. Inquirer file photo.
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will not implement the law redistributing the seven parliamentary seats originally allocated for Sulu province, citing lack of material time for the preparations for the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections.
Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia made this announcement on Thursday after BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua signed the bill, also known as the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Redistricting Act of 2025 or BAA No. 77.
“We apologize to the parliament. We know that it seems that we won’t implement the law,” Garcia, speaking in Filipino, said in his speech during the resumption of ballot printing for the parliamentary election at the National Printing Office in Quezon City.
READ: BARMM chief signs law redirecting 7 Sulu parliamentary seats
The Comelec remained firm on its earlier pronouncements that it will proceed with its preparations for the 73 seats for the elections.
The BARMM Parliamentary has 80 seats, of which 40 seats are allocated for party representatives, 32 for single-member parliamentary districts, and eight for sectoral representatives.
However, a Supreme Court ruled to exclude the Sulu province from the region after it rejected the ratification of Bangsamoro Organic Law through a plebiscite. With the signing of the law redistributing the seven parliamentary seats of Sulu, the 32 -single member parliamentary districts in the region will be reapportioned as follows:
- nine 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
- two for the Special Geographic Area (SGA)
Originally, Lanao del Sur was given eight parliamentary seats; four each for Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur; three each for Basilan and Tawi-Tawi; two for Cotabato; one for SGA; and seven originally for Sulu.
Garcia noted that the poll body had given the parliament sufficient time to decide on the reallocation of the seats as early as May 2025. The bill was passed by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament on the third and final reading last August 19.
Following the approval of the bill, the poll body suspended the printing of the official ballots for the parliamentary elections last August 21 to further study the implications of the bill. The printing of over 2.2 million official ballots resumed on Thursday, which is targeted to complete by September 15.
Garcia said that if the Comelec will implement the law, the poll body will be able to deploy all election materials to municipalities by October 20, a week after the scheduled elections.
He added that if the poll body adjusted its timeline based on the new law, the printing of ballots will be done by September 30, which has not yet included verification and reprinting of defective ballots.
READ: Comelec to resume ballot printing for BARMM polls on Aug. 28
He also reiterated that while there is no opening of filing of certificates of candidacies due to the redistribution of seats, the ballot faces would be affected by changes in composition.
Garcia explained that the automated election system would need to reconfigure each district, and the process can take up to 15 days. He previously said that the redistribution of seats, which transfers municipalities from one district to another, might complicate the ballot printing process since the ballots are precinct-specific and include photos of candidates and logos of political parties.
Garcia also reaffirmed the Comelec’s commitment that the elections will push through on October 13, 2025 after being rescheduled from May 12, 2025, noting that the poll body is ready to defend its actions on defying the BAA No. 77
“Unless there is a restraining order issued against the Comelec, then the Comelec will proceed with its preparations,” he added.
Implication on campaign period
As the campaign period began on Thursday, how will the new law affect this, especially in designating which districts the candidates should campaign under?
Garcia answered: “You will campaign under the district where you filed your candidacy.”
He also shared that the ballot faces are already uploaded in the Comelec website.
Meanwhile, Garcia said that the poll body will conduct a “massive information drive” to enlighten the voters who will be running for the elections. He then called on the candidates, political parties, and citizens’ arms to help the poll body in its voter education, emphasizing that the ballot faces now include photos of candidates and logos of political parties.
The Inquirer has sought Macacua for comment on Comelec’s decision not implement the law, but has yet to receive a response as of this writing. /mr
