BEFORE the month of May, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will resolve all Petitions for Registration as a Regional Parliamentary Political Party (RPPP) for the September 2026 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE).
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said they want to resolve all petitions of RPPP applicants before the end of April.
"There are 16 political parties that have filed petitions for accreditation. Our plan is to resolve everything before the end of April," said Garcia.
Garcia said this will remove all questions on the nomination of candidates for the BPE when they file their Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) from May 5 to 7, 2026.
"What we want is when they file their COCs, it's already clear which party they're running for," said Garcia.
Earlier, the Comelec en banc approved the Petitions for Registration of 10 RPPPs while thumbing down one application.
Approved were the petitions of Bangsamoro Party, Alliance of Bangsamoro Tri-Peoples Party, Bangsamoro People's Democratic Party, Best Party, Progresibong Bangsamoro Party, Bangsamoro People's Party, Bangsamoro Federalist Party, BARMM Grand Coalition, Moro Ako Party, and Indigenous Settlers Sama and Minorities Alliance Party.
The Comelec rejected the petition of the People's Consultative Mushawara Party.
UBJP case
The Commission needs additional days to resolve the Petition for Registration of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), which faces opposition from Sahabudin Panambulan Usop.
Garcia said they will release the resolution on the petition of the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) before the start of the COC filing period.
"Wait for the Comelec's decision. We still have a few days to decide whether the party should be accredited or not. We are just observing due process," said Garcia.
"Expect Comelec to take action in the next few days. At least before May 5, we will resolve the issue whether the party should be accredited or not," said Garcia.
The poll chief said they will factor in the previous accreditation of the UBJP for the BPE before it was postponed to Sept. 14, 2026, by Republic Act (RA) 12317.
"It is one of the first political parties accredited by the Comelec during the first round of accreditation until everything went back to zero. But that's a big factor, the fact that they were accredited before. That only means they have complete requirements," said Garcia.
Garcia did not rule out the possibility of the Commission granting the opposition filed by Sahabudin Panambulan Usop against UBJP.
"Let's also see if what those who oppose the political party is saying has any weight," said Garcia.
Usop earlier asked the Comelec to deny the UBJP bid for registration as an RPPP, citing an alleged violation of the election gun ban in the 2025 polls and for accepting foreign contributions despite being prohibited by law.
Of the 16 RPPP applicants, only UBJP faces opposition before the Comelec.
Resolve with dispatch
In a related development, the Comelec was asked to resolve all petitions for RPPP registration with dispatch.
In a one-page letter to the Commission, Sultan Alim Saad Amate and Maulana Mamutuk asked the poll body to prevent delays in resolving petitions.
"We respectfully request only that all pending matters affecting party registration, accreditation, nomination, and participation in the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections be resolved with dispatch and transparency before the COC filing period," said Amate and Mamutuk.
"We are not asking Comelec to favor any party. We ask only for timely clarity, equal treatment, and due process, so that all candidates, parties, voters, and election officers know the rules before filing begins," said Amate and Mamutuk.
The two noted that political party status is not a minor procedural matter during parliamentary elections.
"It affects nomination, voter choice, campaign organization, and the public's understanding of who may validly participate. Delays can create confusion even before a final ruling is made," said Amate and Mamutuk. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)
