The Comelec is targeting September for the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections
THE Commission on Elections of the Philippines (Comelec) on Thursday said the first parliamentary election of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao may be held in September, following its postponement last month.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia told a Senate hearing that the commission needs at least eight months to complete preparations, including updates to the source code of the automatic counting machines.
“Definitely, the Comelec can do it in September,” he told the lawyers, noting that the timeline is in line with the proposals from the House of Representatives and regional stakeholders.
The commission also needs three to four months to process the approval of political parties and sectoral organizations. “Depending on the number of applicants for approval, it may take three to four months,” he added.
Lawmakers from both parties are debating bills seeking to set a specific date for the Bangsamoro elections, which were scheduled for October last year but were postponed after the Supreme Court’s decision.
The Supreme Court has declared unconstitutional two laws passed by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority that created and re-established parliamentary constituencies, complicating election preparations.
Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, chairman of the Senate Local Government Committee, said the chamber intends to pass the measure to stop the election in the third and final reading before adjournment in March.
He said that any further delay in the Bangsamoro elections could set back “our mission of peace and progress” in the region, he said, warning that repeated postponements are a serious risk of causing chaos and disillusionment. He also linked the escalating violence in the Bangsamoro region to the postponement of the election.
Republic Act No. 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which was signed in 2019, mandates parliamentary elections every three years. Since then, the election has faced many delays due to legal, operational and political obstacles.
The Comelec’s timeline shows efforts to measure operational readiness and political and social stability in the region. The commission stressed that automated elections need to be carefully prepared to ensure accuracy, transparency and public trust.
The Bangsamoro elections are seen as an important step towards consolidating autonomy in the Muslim-majority region, enabling residents to elect representatives to a fully functioning regional Parliament for the first time.
Legislators and regional leaders stressed that holding the vote at the appointed time is important for sustaining peace and long-term development in the region.
The Bangsamoro region includes the provinces of Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato. Cotabato City is the capital and seat of its regional government.
Leaders of the Moro National Liberation Front have called for Sulu, considered the historic birthplace of the group that fought for independence for more than two decades, to be returned to the Bangsamoro region. – Adrian H. Halili
