THE Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (Opapru) has welcomed the Senate’s approval of a measure resetting the first regular parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) to September 14, 2026, describing it as a crucial step in safeguarding the integrity of the Bangsamoro peace process and ensuring a credible democratic transition.
In a statement issued on March 3, Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Carlito G. Galvez Jr. expressed gratitude to the Senate of the Philippines for passing Senate Bill No. 1823 on third and final reading a day earlier. The measure seeks to move the region’s first regular parliamentary elections from May 2025 to September 2026, extending the transition period of the interim Bangsamoro government.
Galvez specifically acknowledged the leadership of Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, who principally authored and sponsored the bill.
“We express our profound gratitude to the Senate of the Philippines, under the leadership of Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III, for the approval of the bill resetting the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) to September 2026,” Galvez said.
He underscored that the adjustment in the electoral timetable is not a retreat from democratic commitments but a deliberate effort to ensure the process is fully prepared and inclusive.
“The resetting of the elections is a strategic move to ensure that the transition process is inclusive, legally sound, and fully prepared for the historic exercise of democracy,” Galvez said.
Ensuring a credible democratic transition
The Barmm was established following the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law in January 2019, which replaced the former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The law was a product of the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, ending decades of armed conflict in parts of Mindanao.
Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the region is governed during its transition by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), an interim body appointed by the President. The first regular parliamentary elections were initially scheduled for May 2022, synchronized with national and local polls.
However, Congress enacted Republic Act No. 11593 in 2021, postponing the Barmm elections to May 2025 and extending the BTA’s term to ensure the completion of key transition tasks, including the passage of priority codes such as the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, Administrative Code, and Local Government Code.
Senate Bill No. 1823 marks another recalibration of the timeline, citing the need to address remaining institutional, legal, and logistical concerns, including voter registration updates and electoral preparations unique to the parliamentary system adopted by the region.
Galvez emphasized that the heart of the peace agreement lies in the promise of self-governance.
“It is a fundamental deliverable of the peace agreement that the people of Barmm be given the opportunity to elect their own leaders through a peaceful, orderly, and credible parliamentary election,” he said.
He added that the Senate’s approval provides critical time to ensure broader participation.
“With the bill's approval, we are providing the necessary time to resolve crucial voter registration requirements and other preparations, ensuring that no Bangsamoro voice is left behind.”
Bangsamoro government backs Senate Bill
The Bangsamoro government itself echoed Opapru’s position, welcoming the Senate’s action as a key milestone in the region’s political normalization.
Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua described the Senate’s approval as a decisive step toward completing the transition from the appointed Bangsamoro Transition Authority to a fully elected Parliament.
“The Bangsamoro Government welcomes the Senate’s approval of the measure resetting the first regular parliamentary elections in the Barmm to September 14, 2026,” Macacua said in a statement released March 3.
He noted that the election represents the formal transfer of authority from an interim setup to leaders chosen directly by the Bangsamoro electorate, consistent with the framework laid out in the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
“As enshrined in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), this election marks the full exercise of the people’s sovereign will — the formal transition from an interim government to a democratically elected Parliament,” he said.
Under the Senate-approved bill, members of the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament will assume office at noon on October 30, 2026, and serve until June 11, 2031. Beginning in 2031, regular Bangsamoro parliamentary elections will be held every three years on the second Monday of May, aligning the region’s electoral cycle with national and local elections while maintaining its parliamentary character.
However, while the Senate has approved the measure, it still requires concurrence from the House of Representatives of the Philippines before it can be transmitted to the President for signature into law.
Until the elected officials are proclaimed and assume office, the BTA will continue to function as the interim governing body of Barmm.
Macacua affirmed the regional government’s readiness to participate in the rescheduled polls.
“We are committed and ready to participate in the September 2026 elections, fully prepared to uphold a peaceful, credible, and democratic exercise that reflects the true will of the Bangsamoro people, In Sha Allah,” he said, while also thanking Zubiri for championing the measure in the Senate. DEF