WITH the holding of the March 2026 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) still uncertain, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has canceled the scheduled filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) in January 2026.
In Comelec Resolution No. 11183, the Commission en banc announced that the filing period for COCs for the BPE will no longer push through from January 5 to 9, 2026.
“The Commission hereby resolves to suspend the Jan. 5 to 9, 2026 period of filing of Certificates of Candidacy for the 2026 BARMM Parliamentary Elections,” Comelec said.
The suspension was attributed to the continued failure of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to enact a new parliamentary districting law in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm).
This comes despite a Supreme Court (SC) directive ordering the BTA to pass the new districting law by October 30, 2025, to allow Comelec to conduct the BPE no later than March 31, 2026.
Comelec said it will set a new schedule for the filing of COCs once the BTA enacts the parliamentary districting law.
“[The Comelec shall] fix the filing of the Certificates of Candidacy in due time after the enactment of the parliamentary districting by the BTA,” the poll body said.
Earlier, Comelec issued Resolution No. 11181, which set the BPE on March 30, 2026, with the filing of COCs originally scheduled from January 5 to 9, 2026.
Resolution No. 11181 was issued on the assumption that the BTA would pass the BARMM parliamentary districting law within the prescribed period. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)