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MANILA, Philippines — Four governors of provinces in Bangsamoro backed the proposal to move the first-ever elections in the autonomous regions next year.
In a joint statement on Wednesday, governors Jim Hataman of Basilan, Mamintal Adding of Lanao del Sur, Abdulra of Macaque of Maguindanao del Norte, and Yshmael Sali of Tawi-tawi, supported the Congress’ calls to reset the polls in Bangsaomoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM) to May 11, 2026.
Both the House of Representatives and the Senate filed respective bills to reset the polls in the autonomous region.
READ: Bangsamoro MPs back proposal to move BARRM polls to 2026
“This critical decision arises from the need to address the recent exclusion of the Province of Sulu from the BARMM by the Supreme Court, uphold the principles enshrined in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), and ensure a credible and inclusive electoral process that reflects the will of the Bangsamoro people,” their joint statement read.
They noted that the BOL mandates an 80-member parliament, and the Supreme Court decision excluding Sulu from BARRM will result in a 73-member parliament.
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Of the 73, only 65 seats are up for grabs for the upcoming autonomous polls.
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A total of 109 parliamentary aspirants filed their certificate of candidacy to have a spot for these 65 seats which will be decided on the election day on May 12, 2025.
READ: Comelec cites rule on BARMM COC filing if polls moved to 2026
Twenty-five of the 65 seats are allotted for parliamentary district representatives, while the rest or 40 are reserved for regional parliamentary political parties, which is similar to the party-list system.
Eight of the 73 seats are for sectoral groups, which shall be elected in their own convention or assembly separate from the parliamentary polls.
The 73-member parliament, they said, is “a direct contravention of the BOL, and undermines the legitimacy of the parliament.”
Further, they noted that removal of Sulu will result in the disenfranchisement of its residents in the BARRM elections.
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“Any immediate action to excise Sulu from the electoral process would be premature and insensitive to the ongoing legal challenges and the deep-rooted sociocultural ties that bind Sulu to the Bangsamoro identity,” they said.