Senate President Chiz Escudero filed a bill to formalize his proposal seeking to defer the parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in view of the recent Supreme Court ruling excluding Sulu from the regional group.
BARMM’s first parliamentary election is scheduled for 2025, but Escudero is pushing to have it on May 11, 2026, to allow the region to reconfigure its jurisdictions as well as reallocate the seats of its 80-member parliament following the High Court’s ruling cutting off Sulu from the BARMM.
“Importanteng magawa ‘yan para mabigyan ng notipikasyon na ang ating mga kababayan dun sa BARMM kaugnay ng balak ng Kongreso na ipagpaliban ang eleksyon at ang pangunahing dahilan ay ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema kaugnay ng lalawigan ng Sulu,” the veteran legislator said.
According to the seasoned lawmaker, he is optimistic that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will certify as urgent his proposal–Senate Bill No. 2862–given the importance of the measure and the tight schedule of the Senate and the House of Representatives for the remainder of the 19th Congress.
“The ruling of the Supreme Court provides a compelling reason to postpone the Bangsamoro regular elections given its legal implications on the exclusion of Sulu from the autonomous region.”
Escudero pointed out in his proposed bill that the recent decision of the Supreme Court “provides a compelling reason to postpone the Bangsamoro regular elections given its legal implications on the exclusion of Sulu from the autonomous region”.
“This ruling may require a substantial correction of existing laws, particularly RA No. 11054, and the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Districts Act of 2024 (BAA No. 58, 2024), referring to the allocation of the statutory mandated eighty (80) seats in the Bangsamoro Parliament,” the Senate chief explained.
In its resolution, the Supreme Court has upheld the validity of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, but also declared that the province of Sulu was not part of the BARMM after the latter rejected the law in the plebiscite held in 2019. The province of Lanao del Norte, municipalities in North Cotabato and other areas had petitioned for voluntary inclusion in the BARMM.
Most provinces comprising the former Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao or ARMM ratified the law except for Sulu, but it was still made a part of the BARMM.
The BARMM parliament has established 32 parliamentary districts in Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Cotabato City, the Bangsamoro Special Geographic Area in Cotabato province, and in Sulu.
A total of 80 members of the parliament will be elected from the 32 parliamentary districts, including the seven in Sulu.
“Halimbawa mayroong pito o walong kinatawan ng Sulu sa BARMM parliament, paano ‘yun kung hindi na sila bahagi ng BARMM? Paaano i-a-allocate ‘yun? Hindi naman pwedeng basta-basta na lamang ibawas. Paano ‘yung mga party-list groups na doon lahat nakarehistro at ‘yung mga sectoral groups na doon din nakarehistro?” he pointed out.
“Kailangan lahat ‘yun pagpasyahan at kailangan ng kaunting panahon para magawa at maisaayos dahil importante at dahil bahagi ng peace talks ay konsultasyon sa mga stakeholders d’yan sa BARMM,” Escudero stressed.
The Commission on Elections has started receiving certificates of candidacy for the 2025 BARMM parliamentary elections and would continue to do so until November 9 while waiting for the action of Congress on the possible postponement of the polls.
“The hearings to be conducted by the Senate could also serve to clarify the issues surrounding the move of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority parliament to create a new province called the Kutawato Province.”
Apart from the removal of Sulu from the BARMM, Escudero said the hearings to be conducted by the Senate could also serve to clarify the issues surrounding the move of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority parliament to create a new province called the Kutawato Province, consisting of eight newly-formed municipalities that were part of the Special Geographic Area in the BARMM.
Escudero said the creation of a new province necessitates the creation of a legislative district so as not to disenfranchise the voters of the eight affected municipalities, namely Pahamuddin, Kadayangan, Nabalawag, Old Kaabakan, Kapalawan, Malidegao, Tugunan, and Ligawasan, which are all located in North Cotabato.
