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COTABATO CITY, December 28, 2025 (SDN)— As the prospects for the first-ever parliamentary polls in the Bangsamoro region are still clouded with uncertainties, many lawmakers of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament are calling for the passage of Parliament Bill (P.B.) No. 407, the region’s proposed districting law.
For context, the first regular regional political exercise was supposed to be conducted in May 2022, then reset to May 2025, then again postponed to October 13, 2025, but was still not held because of the Supreme Court ruling that declared “unconstitutional” earlier this year two regional laws, the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 77 and BAA No. 58.
The two legislative measures were supposed to have reapportioned the seven parliamentary district seats which Sulu was forced to abandon after the High Tribunal declared the province not a part of the six-year-old Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Passing a districting law is a requirement for the parliamentary elections. But it’s easier said than done. As intervening events have shown.
In the High Court’s decision on BAA No. 77 and BAA No. 58, it made clear the need for the districting law before the now-often postponed and reset regional polls can be conducted before March 31, 2026.
There were several bills on the parliamentary districting; in the end the regional solons chose P.B. No. 407, which is “An Act Providing for the Creation of the Parliamentary Districts in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao”.
BTA Parliament Speaker Ustadhz Mohammad S. Yacob. (Photo: SDN)
Owing to the Supreme Court ruling, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) headed by Chairman George Erwin Garcia scheduled the landmark parliamentary polls next year on March 30, even as it required the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) for aspirants. However, the poll body on December 22, pending the BARMM districting law’s enactment, suspended the filing of COC which it earlier set for January 5 to 9, 2026.
As is often said: it’s back to Square 1 as much as the parliamentary elections are concerned.
On December 9, Garcia was quoted in news reports as saying the poll body was requesting Congress to pass a law for a new schedule of the regional elections, noting that the BARMM Parliament has yet to pass the districting law. Meaning, no elections before 2026.
“It seems that there will be no Bangsamoro elections yet. As of (Thursday, December 18), the last day of the Bangsamoro Parliament, they haven’t passed any bill. So, it looks like we now have a problem,” he told reporters in a report by the Philippine Star.
“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,” he emphasized.
Garcia said the poll body was inclined to see the regional polls in November 2026 simultaneous with the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) which Republic Act No. 12232 reset from December 1, 2025 to November 2, 2026.
MILF Chair & UBJP President Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim. (Photo: SDN)
On December 11, Lanao del Sur Rep. Ziaur-Rahman”Zia” Alonto Adiong told SDN – SciTech & Digital News in an interview that Congress was not inclined to pass a bill re-scheduling the parliamentary polls because of the BTA’s failure to comply with the Supreme Court’s order on passing the districting law.
“Ang position ng House ay hinihintay po natin ‘yong redistricting (law) kasi iyon po talaga ang dahilan kung bakit na-postponed and elections sa BARMM. Dapat po talaga noon October 13 this year. Dahil sa redistricting meron nag-file concerning the constitutionality of the BARMM redistricting,” the congressman, speaking in Filipino, emphasizes.
(Translation: The position of the House is we are waiting for the redistricting (law) because that is really the reason why the BARMM election was postponed. It should have been last October 13. Owing to these events there were those who filed petitions questioning the constitutionality of the redistricting of the BARMM.)
BARMM Education Minister & UBJP Vice President Mohagher M. Iqbal in an event in Metro Manila recently. (Photo: SDN)
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Implementing Panel (PIP) Chair Mohagher M. Iqbal has oft-cited the readiness of the MILF and its political wing, the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), to accept whatever would be the results of the elections.
“The UBJP is ready to win or lose,” MP and Education Minister Iqbal, head of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), one of the BARMM’s 15 primary ministries, assured.
He is vice president of the UBJP for Central Mindanao. Erstwhile BARMM interim chief minister Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, the MILF chair, is UBJP president; current Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua is MILF chief of staff and UBJP secretary general.
Iqbal added that what’s more important to UBJP is the continuing advance of the struggle of the Bangsamoro people.
“Having the freedom to vote and choose their leaders is a testament of the genuine autonomy in the Bangsamoro region,” the UBJP vice president pointed out.
However, as it seems, a gauntlet of more uncertainties continues to hang over the holding of the parliamentary elections. And only passing a districting law can untangle the merry-mix of a labyrinth of “what’s happening” should BTA members of the Parliament (MPs) wish to have it happen. And there are those who wish it. Others may just be sitting on the fence, making some calculations, before coming to terms with the facts on the ground, then decide — am I for it, or am I not for it.
At least 22 MPs led by Parliament Speaker Ustadhz Mohammad S. Yacob have officially registered their desire to see the parliamentary polls conducted even as they appealed for more support.
Lanao del Sur 1st Dist. Rep. Ziaur-Rahman “Zia” A. Adiong in an interview. (Photo: SDN)
The $64 question: Will they be able to garner more support from their fellow parliamentarians?
They came out recently with their official statement as they called on their fellow MPs to support a speedier passing of P.B. No. 407.
They voiced the call on October 28 aimed at responding to the decision of the Supreme Court that declared unconstitutional some portions of BAA Nos. 77 and 58.
Naglabas ng opisyal na pahayag ang mga miyembro ng Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) upang suportahan ang mabilis na pagpasa ng 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹 (𝗣𝗕) 𝗡𝗼. 𝟰𝟬𝟳 𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝘄 𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗶𝘆𝗼𝗻.
𝗔𝘆𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗮 𝗱𝗼𝗸𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼, 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗸𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗸𝘁𝘂𝗯𝗿𝗲 𝟮𝟴, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱. Layunin nito na tugunan ang naging desisyon ng Korte Suprema na nagdedeklarang unconstitutional ang ilang bahagi ng Bangsamoro Autonomy Act Nos. 77 at 58.
Batay sa pahayag, ang PB No. 407 ay binuo para sa mga sumusunod na dahilan: 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝘁𝗶𝘆𝗮𝗸 𝗻𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗵𝗮𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗶 𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗴𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗮𝗮𝗮𝘆𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗮 𝗞𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘀𝘆𝗼𝗻, 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗸𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗸𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗶𝘆𝗼𝗻.
Kasabay nito, nakiisa ang mga lumagda sa panawagan ng liderato ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) na idaos ang kauna-unahang Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections sa loob ng taong 2026.
Hinimok ng mga mambabatas ang kanilang mga kasamahan sa BTA na aprubahan ang batas bago matapos ang kasalukuyang taon. Nanawagan din sila sa mga stakeholder at sa publiko na bantayan ang proseso ng pagpasa nito.
Ang pahayag ay pinirmahan ng maraming miyembro ng parliyamento, kabilang sina:
𝐌𝐏 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐒. 𝐘𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐛, BTA Parliament Speaker
𝐌𝐏 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐈𝐪𝐛𝐚𝐥
𝐌𝐏 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐤
𝐌𝐏 𝐒𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐙. 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐛
𝐌𝐏 𝐀𝐥𝐢 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐤
𝐌𝐏 𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐛 𝐏𝐚𝐤
𝐌𝐏 𝐃𝐚𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐞
𝐌𝐏 𝐀𝐤𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐀𝐛𝐚𝐬
𝐌𝐏 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧
𝐌𝐏 𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐠
𝐃𝐅𝐋. 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐲. 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚 𝐉𝐚𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐞
𝐃𝐒. 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐲. 𝐒𝐇𝐀 𝐄𝐥𝐢𝐣𝐚 𝐁. 𝐃𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐦𝐚
𝐃𝐒 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐲. 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐓. 𝐀𝐥𝐢 𝐉𝐫.
𝐌𝐏. 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐘𝐁 𝐔𝐛𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐦
𝐌𝐏 𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐁. 𝐇𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐦
𝐌𝐏 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐥 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐨
𝐃𝐅𝐋 𝐒𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐨 𝐄𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐞𝐥
𝐌𝐏 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧 𝐆𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐤
𝐌𝐏 𝐌𝐮𝐣𝐢𝐛 𝐂. 𝐀𝐛𝐮
𝐌𝐏 𝐁𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐠
𝐌𝐏 𝐊𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐥 𝐌. 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐫.
𝐌𝐏 𝐓𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐤𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐠
Whether the 22 parliamentarians would be able to enlist the other BARMM legislators to sign in to their earnest appeal, is something the people of the Bangsamoro region have to wait and see.
It’s because, obviously, the role of Malacañang and/or the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPRU) headed by Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. cannot be ruled out. As is past instances with the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) had amply shown.
More so, the MILF no longer holds the majority number in the BTA Parliament. When shove comes to push the more the number of those shoving and pushing, the better chances for victory. Or the least chances, as the case maybe.
