IN THE event that the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) can no longer be held on March 30, 2026, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday, January 15, said it is not in favor of holding them simultaneously with the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on November 2.
This came after the Comelec saw more cons than pros if the two electoral exercises are held simultaneously on November 2.
“Tandaan lang natin na ang Bangsamoro elections ay automated. Ang BSKE ay manual elections. Mahirap magsabay ng dalawang sistema sa iisang elections,” said Comelec Chairman George Garcia in an interview.
(Let us remember that the Bangsamoro elections are automated, while the BSKE is conducted manually. It is difficult to run two systems in a single election.)
He said this is because the Comelec will need two sets of Electoral Boards per polling precinct in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm), with one holding manual polls for the BSKE and another managing the automated election system for the BPE.
Garcia said such a situation will also require an earlier period for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for BSKE bets in the Barmm, as their names will be printed on the official ballots.
He said newly registered voters eligible for the BSKE may also demand that they be allowed to vote in the BPE, which only allows registered voters from the last May 2025 polls.
“Ayaw natin magkaroon ng ganung kaguluhan pa,” said Garcia.
(We do not want to have that kind of chaos anymore.)
The Comelec, on Wednesday, said it has asked Congress to pass a law that will set a new date for the BPE in the event that the March 30 schedule is no longer feasible. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)