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Rhodina Villanueva - The Philippine Star
December 22, 2025 | 12:00am
The BARMM administration building in Cotabato City.
PNA / Photo courtesy of Bangsamoro Information Office-BARMM
MANILA, Philippines — The parliamentary elections for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao might be moved to November 2026, the Commission on Elections said.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia said given the uncertainty of holding the parliamentary polls in March 2026, the poll body is planning to ask lawmakers to pass a law that will move the election to November 2026 – preferably a schedule similar to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
The BSKE, under Republic Act 12232, is rescheduled from Dec. 1, 2025 to Nov. 2, 2026.
“It seems that there will be no Bangsamoro elections yet. As of (Thursday), the last day of the Bangsamoro Parliament, they haven’t passed any bill. So it looks like we now have a problem,” Garcia told reporters.
“The Comelec is planning to endorse (to Congress) that if the Bangsamoro poll doesn’t push through on March 30, we will be supporting and, in fact, endorsing a bill for it to be held simultaneously with the BSKE,” Garcia added.
The Supreme Court previously directed the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to pass a new BARMM districting law on or before Oct. 30.
The high court also directed the Comelec to proceed with the preparations and conduct of parliamentary elections not later than March 31, 2026.
Earlier reports said the Comelec plans to ask Congress to pass a new law that will set a definitive date for the BARMM poll as the transition authority has not yet passed a districting law.
Garcia said if their proposal is approved by Congress, the Comelec would likely use the automated election system for both the BSKE and BARMM polls in the Bangsamoro region.
“If the Bangsamoro poll is automated, we want the BSKE in BARMM to be automated as well. In such a scenario, it will be the first time it will happen. They will use the same machine, one list, one ballot,” Garcia added.
