Stakeholders in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are calling on the Senate to act on a bill postponing the region's first parliamentary elections. The House of Representatives has already approved the bill, which would move the elections to 2026. Stakeholders argue that the postponement is necessary to ensure a fair and inclusive electoral process.
Stakeholders in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ( BARMM ) have appealed to the Senate to take action on the bill postponing the region's inaugural parliamentary elections scheduled for May. The House of Representatives, with a vote of 198-4, passed House Bill (HB) 11144 on third and final reading last November. This bill proposes to move the elections to the second Monday of May 2026.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez, the author of HB 11144, stated that the postponement would provide more time for promoting broader participation from political parties and voters, enhancing their understanding of the new electoral processes. Senate President Francis Joseph G. Escudero has filed a counterpart bill – Senate Bill No. 2862 – seeking to defer the elections following the Supreme Court's ruling that excluded Sulu from the regional group. The Supreme Court upheld the validity of the Bangsamoro Organic Law but declared that Sulu is not part of BARMM after it rejected the law in a 2019 plebiscite. However, Senate records indicate that no hearing has been scheduled to discuss the bill. This lack of progress has prompted groups and stakeholders to continue urging senators to act on the measure. Senators have resumed sessions that will conclude on February 8 before taking a break for the campaign period. After the elections, senators will reconvene from June 2 until June 13 and then adjourn sine die.The call for postponement is driven by a desire to ensure a credible and inclusive electoral process. Basilan Governor Jim Hataman Salliman, Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr., Maguindanao del Norte Governor Abdulraof Macacua, and Tawi-Tawi Governor Yshmael Sali, in a joint statement, emphasized that the postponement is intended to safeguard the fundamental right to vote by creating conditions conducive for its meaningful exercise. They stressed that their call is not politically motivated but stems from a responsibility to consider the well-being of BARMM residents. Ten Basilan mayors have also voiced their support for the postponement, alongside Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr., who believes the move will give both the national government and BARMM more time to fulfill commitments made under signed peace agreements
BARMM Elections Postponement Senate House Of Representatives Bangsamoro Organic Law Sulu
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