Bangsamoro parliament urged to pass redistricting law by Nov. 30
MANILA, Philippines – With less than a week before the Nov. 30 deadline, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair George Erwin Garcia on Monday said it would be “difficult” for the agency to hold the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections by March 31 next year if a new redistricting law is not passed by the end of the month.
Speaking to reporters in an ambush interview, Garcia clarified that his statement is not meant to put “pressure” on the Bangsamoro parliament, but stressed that the Comelec “need[s] the law so that our scheduled timelines will be followed.”
“Because if those are not followed… how can we conduct an automated Bangsamoro parliamentary election that should be held by March 31 according to the high court?” he said.
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Garcia said he was also informed of a new law that was recently filed in the Bangsamoro parliament, which may allow the acceptance of new accreditation petitions for political parties and party lists. The Comelec chief admitted that the new measure might further “complicate” preparations for the upcoming Bangsamoro polls given the “long process” for accreditation.
“If the Comelec accepts new applicants for accreditation due to the law, that means our list of political parties that are accredited and will be printed on the ballot is not final. Our [list of sectoral organizations] will also not be final if we reopen the accreditation [process],” he said.
“You may recall, almost 15 petitioners from political parties were accepted by Comelec, [but] only seven were accredited… Likewise, for the sectoral organizations, 1,500 petitions were accepted, but only 200 were accredited. What happens if we open the filing… again?” he added.
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Last Friday, poll watchdog Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) also urged the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to immediately pass a new redistricting law, as failure to do so may “endanger the March 2026 elections and undermine public trust in the process.”
It noted in a statement that the new law must be enacted “with sufficient lead time” to allow the Comelec to prepare for the parliamentary elections and accommodate other legal amendments that may lead to operational setbacks.
According to the group, the constant postponement of elections “erodes democratic legitimacy” and also risks establishing a “dangerous precedent where judicial or administrative uncertainties become grounds to defer elections already set by law.”
It added that delays in the passage of a new districting law prolong the absence of an elected representative in the Bangsamoro parliament, undermining regional autonomy and the right to suffrage of residents in the region. /jpv
