Philstar.com
November 23, 2024 | 8:31am
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is not ruling out the postponement of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections.
“We might not be able to do it next year considering the Supreme Court decision separating the province of Sulu from the Bangsamoro region,” President Marcos said in an interview in Pangasinan, referring to the first BARMM parliamentary election originally set next year.
The president mentioned the probability of pushing back the BARMM electoral exercise, which is to coincide with next year’s midterm elections, for lack of material time.
“We are still studying it because of the many implications in terms of changes which were triggered by the SC decision. Maybe we might not be able to do it by May next year,” the President stressed.
Earlier, calls for the BARMM election postponement have escalated citing the need to address the exclusion of Sulu from the Bangsamoro region and guarantee for a credible and inclusive election that reflects the will of the Bangsamoro people.
Those pushing for the deferment of the first-ever BARMM parliamentary polls include Senate President Chiz Escudero and House Speaker Martin Romuladez, who both led in filing separate bills for the postponement; and the four governors of BARMM namely Jim Hataman Salliman of Basilan, Abdulraof A. Macacua of Maguindanao del Norte, Mamintal Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur and Yshmael I. Sali of Tawi-Tawi.
Also supportive for the deferment call are the nine of the 12 mayors of Maguindanao del Norte; 12 mayors of Maguindanao del Sur; 10 mayors of Basilan; 10 mayors of Tawi-Tawi; and some 54 members of the 80-member Bangsamoro Transirion Authority, who signed Resolution 505 calling the members of both the House and Senate to delay the conduct of the BARMM election.
The executive council of the Moro National Liberation Front (SEMA wing) and MNLF vice chair Ustadz Abdulkarim Tan Misuari and the Mindanao Development Authority and OPAPRU are part of the movement that is actively pushing for the postponement of the BARMM election.
“Early this week, the BARMM governors sent a signed resolution to the President explaining that the resetting of the BARMM election would allow time to reconfigure electoral districts, and ensure that all remaining areas have adequate representation.”
“This purposeful resetting is intended to ensure that the electoral process is conducted with integrity and safeguards the fundamental right of suffrage by creating the conditions indispensable for its meaningful exercise,” the provincial chief executives said.
The governors’ resolution added that with issues with Sulu and the parliamentary seats, there could be insufficient time to prepare for the 2025 Bangsamoro region electoral exercise.
“The current timeline does not provide enough time for these preparations. potentially undermining the credibility of the elections. Postponing the elections to 2026 allows ample time for a comprehensive and inclusive electoral process,” they said.
The LGU leaders, and all stakeholders of the Bangsamoro region, appeared apprehensive to proceed with the 2025 BARMM election, citing the limited time to reconfigure the entire process, particularly on the issue of Sulu, including the necessity to prepare for the creation of the Province of Kutawato.
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