Bill approves delay of BARMM elections until May 2026
A Fresh Look:
Philippines Parliament Shifts BARMM Elections to 2026
In Manila, the House of Representatives has voted to reschedule the inaugural parliamentary elections for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to May 2026, following complications arising from Sulu's exclusion from the region.
A whopping 198 members voted in favor, while four opposed the move, known as House Bill No. 11444. By this bill, the initial BARMM parliamentary polls will occur on the second Monday of May 2026, and every subsequent triennium. The enactment of this bill would render the present members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) out of office, and President Marcos Jr., the authority to appoint 80 new BTA members.
If the Senate approves a parallel initiative and President Marcos Jr. signs the bill into law, the BARMM parliamentary elections will be postponed for the second time. Initially, the first elections were slated for 2022, concurrent with the presidential election, as per the Bangsamoro Organic Law (RA 11054)[1].
Previous postponement in 2021 was attributed to the need for more time for the BTA to implement the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), following delays attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic[2]. The latest call for another delay is due to a Supreme Court decision that removed Sulu from the BARMM in light of a plebiscite result against the BOL's ratification.
In their filing, House leaders maintaining this proposal claimed it would provide additional time to address emerging legal issues, promote broader participation from political parties, and improve voters' understanding of new electoral procedures[3].
However, civil society organizations have been critical of the proposed postponement, contending it infringes on the Bangsamoro electorate's right to vote[3]. Critics argue that voters are prepared, and both candidates and citizens are eager for the elections to go forward, arguing that any delay impedes the Moro people's right to choose their leaders[3].
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[1] - enrichment: RA 11054 - Bangsamoro Organic Law[2] - enrichment: Resolution No. 641 - Extension of Transition Period from 2025 to 2028 by the BTA[3] - enrichment: House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas' opposition manifestation - Deprivation of Bangsamoro electorate's right to suffrage[4] - enrichment: Commission on Elections (COMELEC) - Election settings as of now undecided, no formal decision to postpone the parliamentary elections.
- Migration and politics are intertwined as the postponement of the elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) may affect the migration patterns of the Moro people, with some choosing to wait and see who their leaders will be before deciding to continue living in the region.
- War-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, and general-news are connected as the postponement of the BARMM elections and the associated political maneuvering could have implications for ongoing conflicts, with potential changes to policy and legislation impacting the region's stability and the lives of its citizens.
