Jamaine Punzalan

Residents in Sultan Kudarat look for their names from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) list of voters for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite at the Simuay Junction Crossing Elementary School,  January 21, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175808164822820190121-cotabato-plebiscite-JC-7283.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Residents in Sultan Kudarat look for their names from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) list of voters for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite at the Simuay Junction Crossing Elementary School,  January 21, 2019. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File </span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA<strong> (UPDATED)</strong> — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Wednesday it was suspending its<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/26/comelec-conducts-mock-polls-in-preparation-for-octobers-barmm-elections-1219"> preparations for the Oct. 13 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.</a></p><p>Comelec Chairman George Garcia made the announcement days after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order against the implementation of a Bangsamoro law that redistributed the seven parliamentary seats originally allocated to Sulu.</p><p>“We will always have to comply with the Supreme Court order,” Garcia told reporters on the sidelines of their en banc session.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/9/16/supreme-court-issues-tro-vs-reallocation-of-sulu-s-parliamentary-seats-in-bangsamoro-1604"><strong>Supreme Court issues TRO vs reallocation of Sulu’s parliamentary seats in Bangsamoro</strong></a></div><p>Last year, the Supreme Court ruled that Sulu is not part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.</p><p>Under the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 77 or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Redistricting Act of 2025, the seven parliamentary seats initially assigned to Sulu province would be reallocated in a reorganization of parliamentary districts.</p><p>Petitioners for a review of Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 77 had alleged it violated the Voter’s Registration Act by altering precincts during the election period, among others.</p><p>They also held that BAA 77 is unconstitutional for violating the provisions on ensuring free, orderly, honest, peaceful and credible elections during the election period.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ELECTIONS MIGHT NOT PUSH THROUGH</strong></div><p>Garcia said preparations would be suspended until the TRO is listed or until the Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of the reallocation law.</p><p>The Comelec chief said given the developments, it is unclear if the October 13 elections will push through because of limited time.</p><p>&quot;Sa kasalukuyan, hindi masasagot ng Comelec kung may elections sa Oct. 13. Hindi namin masasagot,” he said.</p><p>(At present, the Comelec cannot say if there will be elections on October 13)</p><p>The October elections would be the first for the BARMM, which was created to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and as part of the government peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.</p><p>The elections would have been held in May but had been pushed back to October because of the need to reallocate seats.</p><p>Those elections had already been previously postponed and had originally been scheduled to be held in 2022.</p>

<p>The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Wednesday it was suspending its preparations for the Oct. 13 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.</p>

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Wednesday it was suspending its preparations for the Oct. 13 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.

Comelec suspends preparations for Bangsamoro elections

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Comelec suspends preparations for Bangsamoro elections

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 17, 2025 12:03 PM PHT

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Updated September 17, 2025 04:06 PM PHT

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Sulu

Bangsamoro

Bangsamoro elections

Comelec

Supreme Court

TRO

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