THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) welcomed on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, the passage of the new districting law in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) by the Bangsamoro Parliament.
This, however, failed to appease the poll body, saying it fails to settle the issue on whether the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) can be held on March 30, 2026 or not.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the passage of the new districting law on early Tuesday could pose legal questions in relation to the Supreme Court (SC) decision.
"The SC clearly emphasized that there should be no redistricting 120 days before the election. Since we fixed the date of election on March 30, 2026, this will now run contrary to the prohibition mentioned and the provision of the law," said Garcia in a phone interview.
He also raised the operational issue of having to prepare for the BPE on March 30, which is only 76 days away.
"We are now confronted with operational issues as to whether the conduct of the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election is still feasible by March 30," said Garcia.
Because of this, the poll chief admitted that the Comelec is not yet certain if it can hold the BPE on March 30 or not.
"Does this mean na mare-reschedule uli ang Barmm elections? We are not yet prepared to answer that question," said Garcia.
To recall, the Supreme Court previously directed the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to pass a new Barmm districting law by October 30, 2025.
The High Tribunal also directed the Comelec to, subsequently, proceed with the preparations and conduct the BPE not later than March 31, 2026.
Despite the BTA failing to pass a new law by October 30, the Comelec opted to promulgate a resolution in November 2025 setting the Election Day on March 30, 2026.
On January 13, the BTA approved on third and final reading Parliament Bill 415, which is the districting law that redefines the 32 parliamentary districts of the Barmm. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)