OFFICIALS in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) have called on the National Government to defer the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) in the autonomous region.
The call was made through a position paper presented and endorsed by all provincial governors during the Barmm Peace and Order Council meeting in Maimbung, Sulu on Saturday, June 10.
Barmm has six provincial governors representing the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
They suggested that the BSKE in the region should only be conducted after the decommissioning of all former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
The decommissioning process is part of the normalization mechanism agreed by both the MILF and the government of the Philippines peace panel.
The BSKE is set to be held nationwide on October 30, 2023.
There are 2,490 villages spread across 116 municipalities and six provinces in the Barmm. (SunStar Zamboanga)