By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
A bill postponing the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) from May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2026 was approved on its third and final reading by the House of Representatives, with 198 votes in favor and four against it.
Said legislation was authored by House Speaker Martin Romualdez, with the intention of allocating more time for the promotion of broader participation from political parties and the electorate, further enhancing their understanding of new electoral processes.
House Bill (HB) No. 11144 stipulates that the first regular election in BARMM would be held on the second Monday of May 2026 and every three years thereafter. Once in effect, the term of office of the BARMM Transition Authority’s (BTA) present members shall be deemed expired.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. shall then appoint 80 BTA members who shall serve until their successors shall have been elected and qualified.
The BARMM government shall disburse the share of the province of Sulu from the national government’s annual block grant for the autonomous region’s programs in 2025.
Moreover, the Commission on Elections (Comelec), through the Bangsamoro Electoral Office, shall promulgate rules and regulations for the conduct of the elections, and enforce and administer them pursuant to national laws, the BARMM Organic Law, and the Bangsamoro Electoral Code.
The proposed postponement law, once signed by the President, shall take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.
Earlier, a counterpart bill that sought to reset the BARMM elections also to May 11, 2026 was filed in the Senate by Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
If the regional polls are postponed, it would be the second deferment since May 2022, when the first regular elections in the autonomous region were originally scheduled to be held. (with report from Mela Lesmoras/PTV News)
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