The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has suspended the printing of official ballots for the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections “until further notice” after the passage of a bill that reallocates the seven parliamentary district seats that were initially designated for Sulu province.
Poll body chairman George Erwin Garcia said the suspension would allow the Comelec en banc to examine the effects of the bill that has been approved.
“We want to study the implication of the reapportionment of the 7 district seats that were originally intended for Sulu. We want to make sure that information on the official ballots would be in accordance with the approved bill by the Bangsamoro parliament,” Garcia told reporters in a message.
The Bangsamoro Parliament approved Parliament Bill 351 or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Redistricting Act of 2025.
It amends Bangsamoro Autonomy Act 58 or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary District Act of 2024, which was passed by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) on February 28 2024.
Garcia, however, maintained that the suspension of ballot printing is only temporary as he assured residents of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) that the October 13 elections will proceed as scheduled.
The elections in Bangsamoro will push through as rescheduled this October, according to Garcia, who emphasized that only a congressional act can legally delay the elections further.
Garcia said the Comelec is engaging with political parties, civil society organizations, and observers to address the concerns before the end of September, prior to the official commencement of the campaign period.
“It is essential to have a definitive resolution on this matter. If not, the Bangsamoro elections may encounter legal disputes and ambiguity,” he added.
