Philstar.com
November 11, 2024 | 3:00pm
MANILA, Philippines — Local chief executives from the province of Maguindanao del Norte on Monday expressed their support to postpone the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections for another year.
The United Bangsamoro Development Council (UBDC), headed by Northern Kabuntalan Mayor Datu Umbra Dilangalen, said the resetting of the election provides the necessary time to ensure that the electoral process is not rushed, after the Supreme Court’s ruling which excluded the province of Sulu from the Bangsamoro region.
The group also signed a manifesto supporting Senate Bill No. 2862 of Senate President Francis Escudero, which calls for the postponement of the first-ever parliamentary elections scheduled next year.
Among those who signed the manifesto are the mayors and other officials from Northern Kabuntalan, Mother Kabuntalan, Parang, Barira, Matanog, Sultan Mastura, Buldon, Datu Blah Sinsuat, and North Upi.
On Sunday, Bangsamoro Parliament member Teng Ambolodto also expressed his support for the proposal to reset BARMM polls.
The Office of Special Assistant to the President (OSAP) headed by Antonio Lagdameo, Jr., is also in support of suspending the BARMM 2025 elections until 2026, noting the need for more time to review matters surrounding the elections.
OSAP particularly supports Senate Bill 2862 and House Bill 11034, which take into account the need to resolve “institutional and statutory issues” and a review of laws for the elections.
One of the main areas of concern for the postponement is the formation of eight new municipalities in BARMM that warranted Congress to create a new law in support of the region’s Parliament Resolution No. 499 last September for the creation of a new province called “Kutawato”.
“Taking into account the now new Bangsamoro territorial jurisdiction by virtue of the said decision, there is a need for a new enabling autonomy act for redistricting to reflect Sulu’s exclusion from the BARMM and ensure the required proportional representation among the remaining districts,” OSAP wrote in its position paper.
“OSAP finds the general text of the measure in order and concurs that there is a need to study all the legal implications arising from the Supreme Court decision on the Province of Sulu and revisit the current legal infrastructure to ensure proportional and equitable representation within the BARMM and prevent the disenfranchisement of its voters,” it added.
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