Reset BARMM election date, Congress urged

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December 15, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — To prevent another postponement of the parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the Legal Network for Truthful Elections or Lente yesterday called on Congress to set a date in 2026 for the BARMM polls.

Ona Caritos, Lente executive director, said holding the BARMM elections after 2026 would be a continuing violation of the voters’ right to choose their own leaders.

“Setting the date of elections is a legislative function. But we would like to call on Congress to reset the date, in conformity with the Supreme Court’s decision,” Caritos said, referring to the court decision that ordered the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to hold the parliamentary poll “not later than March 30, 2026.”

According to Caritos, finally setting the date of the elections would “avoid any further legal question on the conduct” of the BARMM polls.

Caritos noted that the Comelec would also be holding the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections next year.

“This election should not be used as a reason to further delay the conduct of the BARMM poll. If Comelec will say that March 30 will no longer be feasible on its part, we would like to call on Congress to move it to as close to this date as possible,” Caritos said.

The Comelec earlier issued a resolution setting the parliamentary elections on March 30, with a warning that it could not hold the BARMM poll without a redistricting law, which the Bangsamoro Transition Authority promised to pass before the end of December.

Caritos expressed hope that there would be no more delay in the passage of the redistricting law.