GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 5 Feb) — The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) welcomed the resetting of the first parliamentary elections from May 12 to Oct. 13, 2025.
BARMM’s Government Center. MindaNews file photo by BOBBY TIMONERA
In a statement, the Bangsamoro government, headed by Interim Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim, said the measure, which was certified as an urgent legislation by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., “reflects the necessity of ensuring a smooth and well-prepared transition before the region holds its first parliamentary elections.”
“The resetting of the elections is a necessary step to fully implement the remaining aspects of the transition plan, including key governance reforms and the institutionalization of structures mandated by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB),” it said.
The BOL, among others, mandates the enactment of priority legislative measures. So far the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) or the interim Bangsamoro Parliament has approved the administrative, education, civil service, local governance, electoral and the indigenous people’s code. The parliament has yet to enact the revenue code.
On the other hand, the CAB provides for the decommissioning of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters and their weapons, and the transformation of recognized camps into peaceful and productive zones, among others. Both are still ongoing.
The Bangsamoro government also said the resetting of the regional elections will provide ample time to address legal and security concerns that directly impact the integrity and inclusivity of the electoral process.
Among these is the exclusion of Sulu province from the BARMM, which has profound implications for the region’s territorial jurisdiction, governance and representation, it added.
In a phone interview, BARMM spokesperson Mohd Asnin Pendatun said that a standalone election day for the Bangsamoro parliament would allow the national and Bangsamoro governments, the Commission on Elections, and the security sector to focus on the conduct of peaceful, honest and credible polls in the region, compared to holding it simultaneously with the midterm national and local polls this year.
“All eyes would be on BARMM if the parliamentary elections are held separately this year from the national and local elections,” he said, noting the politics or election-related security concerns in the Bangsamoro region.
Both Houses of Congress on Tuesday agreed to adopt the Senate version, which resets the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections from May 12 to Oct. 13. The House version postpones the regional elections to May 11, 2026.
As agreed, within the extension of the transition period—or from June 30 until Oct. 30, 2025—the BTA shall continue as the interim government in the BARMM “unless such interim members are replaced by the President or their tenure is shortened by their election to a different office.”
Pendatun, also the BARMM Cabinet Secretary, said the interim Bangsamoro government would do its best to address the issues triggered by the exclusion of Sulu from BARMM, as ruled by the Supreme Court, on or before Oct. 30, when the elected officials take over.
The local elections in the BARMM, including governors, mayors and councilors, would proceed as scheduled on May 12 along with the midterm national elections. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
