Metro Manila, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is studying a possible manual election for the Bangsamoro parliament next year.
Comelec spokesperson Rex Laudiangco said that while fully automated elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is preferred, the poll body must follow the schedule set by the high court that reset the polls for 2026 instead of this month.
“Nakikita namin na maaari itong feasible dahil dalawa lang ang isusulat na boto ng ating mga kababayan. Una, ‘yong tungkol sa regional parliament political party, at ikalawa ‘yong kanilang district representative sa parlyamento,” Laudiangco said in an interview with the government channel’s “Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon” on Monday, Oct. 6.
[Translation: We see that this might be feasible as voters only have to write their two votes. First, they will choose their regional parliament political party, and second, they will choose their district representative in the parliament.]
“Sa manual elections kasi, hindi na namin kailangan i-imprenta ‘yong mga pangalan,” he said.
[Translation: In manual elections, we don’t have to print the names of the candidates in the ballots.]
The Oct. 13 schedule did not push through after the court declared the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Redistricting Act of 2025 unconstitutional.
That Bangsamoro law reconstituted the parliamentary districts in the BARMM in light of the Supreme Court ruling in 2024 that Sulu is not part of the autonomous region.
The court ordered the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to determine the parliamentary districts for the first regular election for parliament members by Oct. 30 at the latest.
The court directed the Comelec to “promptly proceed” with preparations for the elections not later than March 31, 2026.
Laudiangco said Comelec Chairman George Garcia met with the commission’ s directors and BARMM officials to find out what else can be done pending the new redistricting law.
“Ang hiling din namin sana ma-consider ang lahat ng stakeholder dito nang sa gayon, baka wala nang umakyat sa Supreme Court para kwestiyunin ang bagong Bangsamoro Autonomy Act na makakapagpatagal pa ng paghahanda,” the Comelec official said.
[Translation: The Comelec hopes that all stakeholders in this election may be considered so that no one will go to the Supreme Court to question the new Bangsamoro Autonomy Act, which would delay preparations again.]
Laudiangco said the Comelec has spent around P1.2 billion for the preparations of the supposed October elections.
