The Philippine House of Representatives has voted to delay the inaugural parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) from May 2025 to May 2026. The decision, encapsulated in House Bill 11144, was passed with a significant majority of 198 votes to 4, with no abstentions. The bill’s chief advocate, Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Alonto Adiong, highlighted several reasons for the delay, including the exclusion of Sulu from BARMM, ongoing legal challenges to the Bangsamoro electoral code, and a request from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for more time to prepare for the elections due to their unique and complex nature.
Adiong emphasized that the postponement would allow for the resolution of legal issues, enhance political participation, and provide stakeholders with a better understanding of the electoral process. Additionally, the bill proposes that the current term of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) will end upon the bill’s enactment, with the President authorized to appoint 80 interim members to manage BARMM affairs until the elected officials take office in 2026.
The financial implications of the delay were also discussed, with Adiong noting that manual elections would cost PHP852 million, while an automated system would require PHP1.771 billion. House Speaker Martin Romualdez, another author of the bill, supported the delay, stating it aligns with a formal request from the BTA to complete essential tasks for establishing a fully functioning, democratically elected government in BARMM.
Romualdez stressed that the postponement is a strategic move to ensure the sustainability of BARMM’s autonomous governance. The BTA had previously passed Resolution 641, seeking an extension of its mandate until 2028 to address governance, electoral, and administrative challenges. The delay also follows a Supreme Court ruling that declared Sulu’s inclusion in BARMM unconstitutional, complicating the allocation of parliamentary seats.
However, not all representatives supported the bill. Basilan Representative Mujiv Hataman opposed the delay, arguing for broader public consultation and warning of the potential desynchronization of BARMM elections with national polls, which could revert the region to a feudal system influenced by Manila.