bitbet House OKs BARMM poll postponement bill on second reading

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives on Monday approved on second reading a proposal to defer the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

House Bill (HB) 11144 proponent Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong cited the exclusion of Sulu from the BARMM and the petition challenging the constitutionality of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code of 2023 as reasons for the request to reschedule the BARMM elections.

“The Comelec is also seeking more time to prepare for the BARMM elections, given the unique, complex and novel nature of the Bangsamoro electoral code,” Adiong said, referring to the Commission on Elections.

HB 11144 seeks to provide additional time for the BARMM to resolve emerging legal issues and promote broader participation from local political parties. It intends to give the Bangsamoro people more time to fully understand the new electoral process, Adiong said.

Lanao del Sur Rep. Khalid Dimaporo said the proposal would benefit not only Mindanao but also the entire country because the House of Representatives is heavily invested in the BARMM.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal has said that a plebiscite is needed to postpone the BARMM elections.

Aside from the BARMM poll postponement, HB 11144 – once enacted into law – will end the term of the present Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).

To ensure continuity of the BARMM operations, the measure authorizes the President to appoint 80 new interim members of the BTA, who will serve until their successors are elected.

Meanwhile, Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr.  is confident that the exclusion of Sulu from the BARMM will not affect the government’s peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Moro National Liberation Front.

Galvez said the government would continue supporting Sulu, noting the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity  allocated P120 million for Sulu after the Supreme Court excluded the province from the BARMM.

He said the BTA has agreed to set aside funding for Sulu from the regional government’s annual budget next year. bitbet