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RG Cruz

Willard Cheng

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Senate President Francis Escudero has filed Senate Bill 2862 which seeks a one year delay in the first regular election in the regional government for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao from May 2025 to May 2026.The bill amends Article 16, Section 13 of Republic Act 11054 or the Organic law for the region to set the election on May 11, 2026, with subsequent elections to be held every 3 years thereafter instead of the original schedule which was synchronized with the 2025 National and Local Elections.Republic Act (RA) No. 11054 was enacted into law on 27 July 2018.In his explanatory note, the Senate chief cited that  recent developments speak of institutional and statutory issues that warrant another postponement.The regional poll was postponed  first time during the COVID 19 pandemic.&quot;More succinctly put, such developments refer to disenfranchisement and the need to revisit substantive laws.&quot; Escudero said.One reason Escudero cited: the status of the Special Geographic Area (SGA) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao consisting of eight (8) newly formed municipalities, to wit: Pahamuddin, Kadayangan, Nabalawag, Tugunan, Ligawasan, Malidegao, Old Kabakan, and Kapalawan.&quot;Relative to this, the BTA Parliament passed Parliament Resolution No. 499 on 27 September 2024, urging Congress to enact a law creating a new province to be known as Kutawato Province. The creation of a new province necessitates the creation of a legislative district as well. Failure on the part of Congress to do so may result in the disenfranchisement of voters in the 8 municipalities as enumerated above, since they will not be able to vote for a governor and a representative,” he said.Another reason Escudero cited is the recent ruling of the Supreme Court in the case of Province of Sulu v. Senate (09 September 2024, G.R. No. 242255)  which he said may require a substantial correction of existing laws, particularly RA No. 11054, and the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Districts Act of 2024 (BAA No. 58, 2024), referring to the allocation of the statutorily mandated eighty (80) seats in the Bangsamoro Parliament.The Senate chief said the goverment sought the postponement.&quot;Ang pagkakaalam ko ito&#x27;y nire-request ng Palasyo dahil nga sa mga kaganapang mga pagbabagong naganap nitong mga nakaraang linggo at buwan tulad ng pag uusap natin kahapon. kabilang na dito syempre yung latest Supreme Court decision na hanggang ngayon ay di pa pinal sa isa yun sa mga inaantabayanan. Yung panukalang batas walang ibang laman, walang binabago sa BARMM law. Petsa lamang ng election ang binabago para sa darating na taon,&quot; Escudero said.&quot;One year lamang para ma-amyenadahan yung mga kailangan amyendahan sa batas. Maliban doon sa kaso ng Sulu, meron din kasing mahigit isang daang barangay na may munisipyo pero walang probinsya at walang distrito. Partikular karamihan doon sa North Cotabato. Naalala nyo nagpilibisito noon ng BARMM kung saan pinayagang pumasok sa BARMM yung mga barangay. Bagaman yung munisipyo ay hindi. So itong mga barangay na ito, wala silang representasyon sa Kamara. Itong mga barangay na ito, wala silang probinsyang kinabibilangan. Dahil bahagi sila ng mga probinsya na sa pangkalahatan ay hindi nakasali sa BARMM. So may kailangan i-address ng mga bagay-bagay pa na kailangan pa ng konting pag-aaral at syempre konsultasyon sa mga stakeholders doon,” he said.“Ito&#x27;y rekomendasyon at suhestyon na nagmumula sa administrasyon na pinapatalakay sa Senado. Kaya tatalakayin po yan ang Senado,” Escudero added.<div>PREPARATIONS FOR BARMM POLLS TO CONTINUE: COMELEC</div>The Commission on Elections, meanwhile, said preparations for the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections will continue even with a number of calls to extend the transition period and postpone the polls.Comelec chairman George Garcia is deferring to Congress saying it is up to the legislature to decide on the matter of the Bangsamoro elections’ postponement.Garcia is in Cotabato to observe the first day of filing of COCs which pushed through as scheduled.“Kaya tayo pumunta rito sapagkat nabalitaan din natin &#x27;yung maaaring pagpa-file ng panukalang batas ng pagpo-postpone ng Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election, subalit gusto nating ipakita na hindi naman nagpapaapekto ang COMELEC sa mga maaaring mai-file na ganyan, sapagkat again, hangga&#x27;t walang batas, nandoon ang paghahanda ng Commission on Elections,” Garcia told reporters there.“Doon sa mga may agam-agam, nagdadalawang-isip na mga kababayan natin, nandito mismo ang inyong Komisyon, and we are willing and able, and we will be accepting all your COCs beginning today [November 4] up to the ninth (9th) of November [2024],” he added.Garcia said as much when asked to comment on the reported filing of a bill by Escudero, seeking the postponement of the polls.“A bill is not yet a law. So we will proceed with all the activities in relation to election preparation for the BARMM. However, as in the past, we will defer to the wisdom of the legislature on this matter,” Garcia said.The poll body has accredited 7 regional political parties so far for the polls and is set to announce 3 more today.He added the poll body is mulling to conduct a special registration in the future to classify every registered voter in the Bangsamoro into the sector they belong to in preparation for elections for the sectoral seats in the Bangsamoro parliament come 2028.With the Supreme Court deciding Sulu is not part of the BARMM given the province’s rejection of the Bangsamoro Organic Law in a plebiscite, Garcia said the elections will proceed as stated in the law even if the seats at stake in the polls will only be 73 parliamentary seats instead of 80. Garcia said anyone can question the matter since a motion for reconsideration is still pending with the SC.“Anyone can question the action of the Commission in proceeding with the election. Alam na alam din po anim na may nag file ng motion for reconsideration sa naging desisyon ng Korte Supreme at yan po sa kasalukuyan ay pending pa lang din. Kaya lang ang Comelec po kasi ay dapat mag proceed sa halalan dahil yun po ang nakalagay sa organic law… Nareset nga ito ng 2025. And therefore we have to comply and abide with the provision of law to conduct on May 12, 2025,” Garcia said.

Senate President Francis Escudero has filed Senate Bill 2862 which seeks a one year delay in the first regular election in the regional government for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao from May 2025 to May 2026.

Senate President Francis Escudero has filed Senate Bill 2862 which seeks a one year delay in the first regular election in the regional government for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao from May 2025 to May 2026.

Escudero seeks one year delay in Bangsamoro regional elections

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Escudero seeks one year delay in Bangsamoro regional elections

RG Cruz,

Willard Cheng,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 04, 2024 06:22 PM PHT

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Senate

Francis Escudero

BARMM

elections

Commission on Elections

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