THE Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will have to bear with an irregular electoral setup in May 2025, pending the creation of its provinces and legislative districts by Congress.
Local Governments and Interior Minister Elijah Dumama Alba of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MILG-BARMM) said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in recent meetings with Bangsamoro leaders, has stressed on a “moratorium on the creation of provinces.”
In essence, the May polling scenario in SGA will be that its constituents cannot vote for the gubernatorial and congressional posts, until Congress creates the provinces and congressional districts comprising SGA’s provincial local government units (PLGUs) and regular legislative districts. The power to create provinces and congressional districts solely belongs to Congress.
The SGA is composed of 63 villages carved out of five municipalities of Cotabato Province, following the February 2020 plebiscite during which they voted to join BARMM.
Alba said the parliamentary elections in the region were also likely to be reset by Congress, as the Senate was probably only waiting for the official transmission of the House-passed version of the Bill that seeks to postpone the parliamentary elections in BARMM to May 2025. “In that case, the Senate usually only reviews the House version, and there will be no more bicameral conference, and it will be passed.”
The Parliament of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) has since created eight municipalities by legislation which have been ratified in plebiscites held in April this year.
The presidential moratorium on approval of laws creating new provinces may have been prompted by corresponding adjustments on internal revenue allotments (IRA), following the so-called Mandanas Ruling by the Supreme Court which affirms short-change on LGU IRA shares nationwide, according to local governments pundits.
In that sense, the BARMM SGA will have to continue being operational with only municipal LGUs in its local governance structure and in relation to the BARMM Government, said Dumama-Alba.
She reported on the assessment of LGUs compliance with various programs of government by which barangays, municipalities and provinces are rated with merits for citations and awards, including the SEAL or Salamat Excellence Award for Leadership (SEAL).
The SEAL is named in honor of the late Ustadz Salamat Hashim, the founding chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front.
Dumama said she was taken off-context when asked by a radio reporter as to whether it was possible that “members of the Bangsamoro Parliament be replaced, including the Chief Minister?”
To such a question, Dumana-Alba generally pointed out that the President has all the powers to appoint and replace presidential-appointee officials, who are either conterminous to his term-of-office, or are serving on specific term-periods prescribed by law.
Observers said Dumama-Alba may have taken the question from the legal point of view, she being a lawyer. In an obtaining political context, the question may have been asked amid a rumored change-of-guard in the MILF top leadership of the BARMM.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “SGA-BARMM to remain sans provinces, legislative districts in May polls amid Palace moratorium.”
