“While the motions for reconsideration are still pending, the reality is that the process of implementing the ruling — whether the decision is upheld or modified — will require time and careful planning. Holding the elections in 2025 would not allow sufficient time to make these critical adjustments.”
— MP Datu Teng M. Ambolodto
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COTABATO CITY, November 11, 2024 –Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Member of the Parliament (MP) Atty. Suharto “Datu Teng” M. Ambolodto expressed his total support today, Monday, for the proposal of Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero and the leadership of the House of Representatives to reset the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections from 2025 to 2026.
Escudero has introduced Senate Bill (SB) No. 2862, proposing to reset the first regular elections in the BARMM from May 12, 2025, to May 11, 2026. House Speaker Martin Romualdez led the House of Representatives in filing House Bill (HB) No. 11034, also to defer the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) to May 2026.
The BTA has earlier adopted Resolution No. 641 appealing to Congress to extend the transition period.
This move comes in the light of the recent Supreme Court decision cutting Sulu from the umbilical cord of the BARMM political family, which has significant impact to the region’s electoral process.
“I strongly support the decision to reset the BARMM parliamentary elections to 2026,” said Atty. Ambolodto.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling on the exclusion of Sulu introduces critical legal and administrative challenges. Given the complexity of these issues, additional time is needed to ensure a fair and transparent election process.”
Proposed reset to 2026 is essential, regardless of the outcome of the motions for reconsideration
Ambolodto said the Supreme Court’s ruling, which excluded Sulu from the BARMM, has created the need for significant adjustments to the electoral districts and overall election planning. The affected areas will need to be carefully reconfigured to reflect the new political landscape, and logistical planning must be adjusted to accommodate these changes.
Ambolodto also pointed out that motions for reconsideration of the High Court’s ruling have been filed by various parties.
“While the motions for reconsideration are still pending, the reality is that the process of implementing the ruling — whether the decision is upheld or modified — will require time and careful planning. Holding the elections in 2025 would not allow sufficient time to make these critical adjustments,” he emphasizes.
“Resetting the election to 2026 provides the necessary time to ensure that the electoral process is not rushed and can be conducted with the integrity it deserves.”
If the motions for reconsideration are resolved in favor of maintaining the exclusion of Sulu, the affected electoral districts must be redrawn, and the logistical plan must be adjusted accordingly to ensure fair representation of the remaining provinces in BARMM.
If the motions are favorably considered, and Sulu’s inclusion is not disturbed, then the status quo ante would have to be maintained. In either case, the adjustments will require significant planning, legal revisions, and coordination.
Atty. Ambolodto emphasized that the proposed reset to 2026 is essential, regardless of the outcome of the motions for reconsideration, in order to ensure that BARMM’s parliamentary elections are conducted fairly, transparently, and in full compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling, so that the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people can be truly reflected.
The Bangsamoro region, established in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), is made up of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the Special Geographic Area’s (SGA) 63 barangays or villages that voted “Yes” in a plebiscite in February 2019 to be under the BARMM jurisdiction. With the recent plebiscite at SGA, the BARMM now has eight new municipalities.
According to the Philippine Atlas BARMM has 4,404,288 people. It has 116 municipalities (plus eight newly established under the SGA: Basilan, 11 municipalities; Lanao del Sur, 39; undivided Maguindanao, 36; Sulu, 19; and Tawi-Tawi, 11. Its component cities are Cotabato (the regional center and capital) in Maguindanao; Lamitan in Basilan; and Marawi in Lanao del Sur. (✓)
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