COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia addressed Davao media on the latest updates regarding the postponement of the first-ever Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for 2026.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Voters Education and Automated Counting Machine (ACM) Roadshow at Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School on December 7, 2024, Garcia said that Comelec will follow Congress's discretion, as the agency is responsible for implementing and enforcing electoral laws.
“May mga proposal sa Senado at sa mababang kapulungan na i-postpone ang halalan. In fact, umattend tayo sa bawat pag-dinig sa Senado. Kami, ang Comelec will just abide by the Congress (There are proposals in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to postpone the election. In fact, we attend every Senate hearing. The Comelec will just abide by Congress),” he said.
Garcia added that the postponement would provide the Bangsamoro Parliament with time to address seat distribution issues, especially following the Supreme Court ruling that excluded Sulu from the Barmm. To ensure fair representation, he emphasized the need to carefully consider the legal and technical aspects of this decision.
In November 2024, Senate President Chiz Escudero formally announced plans to postpone the Barmm parliamentary elections through Senate Bill 2862. The bill proposed rescheduling the first parliamentary election from 2025 to May 11, 2026, to allow the region to reorganize its jurisdictions and adjust the 80-member parliament's seat distribution in light of the Supreme Court's decision on Sulu.
Given the significance of the legislation and the busy schedules of both the Senate and House of Representatives, Escudero expressed optimism that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. would declare the proposal urgent. DEF