THE first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary election next year might not push through because of a Supreme Court ruling saying Sulu is not part of the BARMM.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Tuesday that the ruling created a big problem affecting extensive measures that were already in place.
Garcia said that the Court decision has far reaching implications, including possible changes on the Bangsamoro Organic Law that created the BARMM.
“If the law is amended, would there be changes also on the composition of the number of members of the BARMM?” he added.
Under the law, BARMM will have 80 members of parliament based on proportional representation whereas the province of Sulu has seven representatives.
Garcia said the members of parliament will now be down to 73 from 80 because of the removal of Sulu.
“If that’s the case, can we proceed with the election with just 73 even if the law says 80?” he added.
Garcia said the issue would be discussed in the En Banc’s regular session on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
He said the Comelec was inclined to push through with the election unless decided otherwise in the en banc meeting.
“The Comelec is hellbent on proceeding with the elections in Bangsamoro no matter what subject to our final disposition by tomorrow,” Garcia said.
The first parliamentary election in the BARMM was scheduled to be held alongside the national and local elections on May 12, 2025.
The 2025 Bangsamoro Parliament election would be the first, following the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
Elected BARMM officials would assume office on June 30, 2025. They would succeed the interim Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament whose members were all presidential appointees.
The BARMM chief minister will be selected through an election among the 80 elected members of the parliament. A nominee for chief minister would need at least 41 votes to win the race.
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