THE House of Representatives on Monday approved on second reading a measure postponing the first general elections of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) by a year to 2026.
House Bill (HB) No. 11144 proposed to hold the general elections of BARMM on the second Monday of May 2026, and to be subsequently held every three years after.
Lawmakers sought to defer BARMM’s elections after the Philippine Supreme Court decided to exclude Sulu from the autonomous region after its constituents rejected the Bangsamoro Organic Law during a 2019 plebiscite.
The House floor adopted amendments introduced by Basilan Rep. Mujiv S. Hataman, which included mandating automated elections for BARMM.
He also introduced a new section requiring the Bangsamoro government to allocate to Sulu province its share of the annual block grant from the National Government, providing the segregated region a funding source for its 2025 programs.
It also authorized President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to appoint 80 interim members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, while no successors have been elected, according to the proposed law. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
