Metro Manila, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) appealed to lawmakers to set the first-ever Bangsamoro elections within the year, fearing that these may be rescheduled again to 2027 or 2028.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia on Wednesday, Jan. 14, said the commission will not be able to handle the preparations for a Bangsamoro election in tandem with the national elections in two years.
“Ang amin lang sana pong pakiusap ay kung magkakaroon talaga ng halalan sa Bangsamoro…kung kakayanin po ay sa 2026 na ito para meron na pong halalan. Hindi na po namin kaya next year,” Garcia said.
[Translation: Our only request is that if there will really be an election in the Bangsamoro, we hope it can be held this 2026 so that there is already an election. We can no longer manage it next year.]
The Comelec earlier welcomed the approval of a law that reallocates seven parliamentary seats originally assigned to Sulu province to pave the way for the first regional legislative elections.
READ: Bangsamoro authority approves redistricting law; Comelec questions poll date
However, Comelec also raised possible contradictions in holding the polls by end-March as a Supreme Court ruling states that there should be no redistricting 120 days before the election.
Garcia said the commission has already submitted a proposal to the House of Representatives Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms regarding the Bangsamoro polls.
