MANILA, Philippines – Senate President Chiz Escudero on Monday, November 4, formalized his resolution seeking to postpone the 2025 parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) due to the recent Supreme Court ruling excluding Sulu from the regional group.

Escudero filed Senate bill 2862, deferring the BARMM to May 11, 2026 to “allow the region to reconfigure its jurisdictions as well as reallocate the seats of its 80-member parliament following the High Court’s ruling cutting off Sulu from the BARMM.”

“Importanteng magawa ‘yan para mabigyan ng notipikasyon na ang ating mga kababayan dun sa BARMM kaugnay ng balak ng Kongreso na ipagpaliban ang eleksyon at ang pangunahing dahilan ay ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema kaugnay ng lalawigan ng Sulu,” he said.

(It’s important to do this to notify our fellow citizens in BARMM regarding Congress’s plan to postpone the elections, and the main reason is the Supreme Court’s decision concerning the province of Sulu.)

The Senate President expressed optimism that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will certify his bill as urgent. Escudero explained that the recent SC ruling “may require a substantial correction of existing laws.” He added that the decision could affect party-list and sectoral representation in the regional legislative body.

“Halimbawa mayroong pito o walong kinatawan ng Sulu sa BARMM parliament, paano ‘yun kung hindi na sila bahagi ng BARMM? Paaano i-a-allocate ‘yun? Hindi naman pwedeng basta-basta na lamang ibawas. Paano ‘yung mga party-list groups na doon lahat nakarehistro at ‘yung mga sectoral groups na doon din nakarehistro?” Escudero asked.

(For example, if there are seven or eight representatives from Sulu in the BARMM parliament, what happens if they are no longer part of BARMM? How will that be allocated? It can’t just be removed arbitrarily. What about the party-list groups that are all registered there and the sectoral groups that are also registered there?)

Despite this development, Elections Chairman George Garcia said early Monday that the Commission on Elections would still continue accepting certificates of candidacy until November 9.

“Again, hanggang walang batas andiyan ‘yung paghahanda ng Comelec. Tatapusin natin ang filing from November 4 hanggang November 9. Hindi pa po naman batas ‘yon, panukalang batas palang ‘yon,” Garcia said.

(Again, until there is a law, the preparation by the Comelec is ongoing. We will finish the filing from November 4 to November 9. That is not yet a law; it’s just a proposed bill.)

BARMM’s interim parliament, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), passed a resolution on October 22 to delay the region’s first regular parliamentary elections from 2025 to 2028.

BTA Resolution No. 641, authored by Member of Parliament Baintan Ampatuan, called on both chambers of Congress to consider rescheduling the first regional parliamentary elections simultaneously with the 2028 national and local elections, allowing time for a smoother transition in light of Sulu’s exclusion from the region. – Rappler.com