BARMM lawmaker urges Comelec to implement new law on districts
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
COTABATO CITY — A member of the parliament (MP) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has reiterated that the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 77, or the redistricting law, would pave the way for the smooth first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro region, hence the need for the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to implement it.
“BAA 77 confirms the mandate set under the law that reset the parliamentary elections to October this year,” MP Naguib Sinarimbo said.
He explained that the primary purpose of extending the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) until October 31 this year was to ensure the passage of the redistricting legislation.
READ: Comelec finishes printing official ballots for Bangsamoro polls
The redistricting law, he added, addressed long-standing uncertainties over the conduct of the first regular parliamentary elections in BARMM.
“Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), it is stated that 50 percent of the 80-member parliament must come from political parties. However, the law did not clearly define the total number of seats — an ambiguity that raised concerns about election viability,” Sinarimbo said.
“With the redistricting law in place, the 80-seat composition of the parliament is now clearly established,” Sinarimbo added. “Without it, we have no legal basis for the number of parliamentary seats. This law settles that issue definitively.”
“So, once the Comelec received a copy of BAA 77, it will return to its mandate of implementing the election laws, including the Bangsamoro Electoral Code (BEC) and BAA 77,” he said.
Earlier, Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia cited lack of material time as reason that Comelec would not implement the law redistributing the seven parliamentary seats originally allocated for Sulu.
Sinarimbo also filed a resolution in the parliament urging the Comelec to take down the “None of the Above” (NOTA) option in the voters’ ballot in the upcoming BARMM parliamentary elections, citing serious implications.
The resolution, however, was not tackled during the session on August 22 but was expected to be discussed in the last week of September.
Section 14, Article VII of the 2023 BEC required that every BARMM ballot must include a “None of the Above” option for voters.
Although the NOTA option appears innocent, it could potentially cause a quandary in getting the percentage votes after the elections since this was not precisely stated in the Code.
Despite concerns, Sinarimbo expressed confidence that the national government had sufficient resources and manpower to fast-track the printing of ballots and other logistical preparations once Comelec resets its preparations and starts from scratch. With reports from Edwin O. Fernandez
