Commission on Elections Chairperson George Garcia (MT file photo)
TheMonitorMindanaoToday.com | Comelec wants 1st BARMM polls still be held in 2026
By: Ferdinand Patinio
MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has proposed to Congress that a new date be set for the first-ever Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) in 2026, should the March 30 schedule fail to push through.
Comelec chairperson George Garcia on Wednesday said holding the BPE in 2027 would hamper preparations for the 2028 presidential elections.
“If it is possible, maybe in 2026, we can have the elections. We can’t do it next year because the Comelec is already very busy preparing for the national and local elections,” he said in a statement.
“We have submitted a bill to the Lower House, to the chairperson of the committee on suffrage and electoral reforms. If we cannot proceed by March 30, we will wait for a law to be passed that will fix the date of our elections in the Bangsamoro,” he added.
He said they are proposing that the BPE be held either in May, late September, or early October this year.
“After Ramadan and the Holy Week, we can probably have the elections towards the end of May 2026,” he said.
Garcia noted the Comelec is also set to hold the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in November this year.
Last year, the Supreme Court directed the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to pass a new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) districting law by Oct. 30.
The high court also directed the poll body to proceed with the preparations and conduct the BPE not later than March 31, 2026.
On Jan. 13, the BTA approved on third and final reading Parliament Bill No. 415, which is the districting law that redefines the 32 parliamentary districts of the BARMM.
Garcia said Republic Act No. 8189, or the Continuing Registration Law, provides that no alterations would be allowed 120 days before the election date. (PNA)
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