The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Friday said that the filing of the certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the first parliamentary elections of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will be reset should the polls be moved to 2026.
However, poll chairperson George Garcia said should there be a law before December this year, the Comelec will instead hold another filing of COCs.
“Unless the law states, the law provides that those who filed for their candidacy will be the candidates if the elections are reset,” he said.
“We have accepted the COCs. This means that, as far as the Comelec is concerned, the elections will push through,” Garcia said.
The Comelec has accepted at least 111 COCs from November 4 to 9 seeking seats in the 80-member parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The region’s first parliamentary elections are set to coincide with the 2025 midterm national and local elections.
A bill has been filed in Congress seeking to postpone the first general elections in the BARMM from May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2026.
The proposed delay comes amid the added complexities following a recent Supreme Court decision declaring Sulu’s inclusion in the BARMM unconstitutional, necessitating adjustments in the allocation of parliamentary seats in the BARMM Parliament.
