DAVAO CITY – The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is pushing for the conduct of the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao next year amid proposals to defer the historic elections to 2026.
In a resolution signed by MILF Central Committee Secretary Muhammad Ameen dated Nov. 9, the MILF wants the parliamentary elections to proceed next year as declared by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in numerous public speeches.
Among the public speeches of Marcos that the MILF had cited were during the 17th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Relations Body last Feb. 8 and the 10th year commemoration of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in the former Camp Abubakar in Barira, Maguindanao del Norte on April 29.
The MILF quoted a part of the President’s speech saying: “(t)his is the fulfilment of your democratic right to realize and achieve meaningful autonomy, as is enshrined in the CAB. I urge you, safeguard those rights, empower yourselves, take part in our shared task of nation-building."
On Nov. 4, Senate President Chiz Escudero filed Senate Bill 2862 that seeks to defer the parliamentary polls from 2025 to 2026.
The following day, House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adiong authored House Bill 11034 that mirrors Escudero’s proposal before the Senate.
Both measures that seek to move the BARMM parliamentary polls came after the Supreme Court ruled that Sulu is no longer a part of the Bangsamoro region.
By postponing the elections, Escudero said that it will allow the region to reconfigure its jurisdictions as well as reallocate the seats of its 80-member parliament following the High Court’s ruling cutting off Sulu from the BARMM.
"Importanteng magawa 'yan para mabigyan ng notipikasyon na ang ating mga kababayan dun sa BARMM kaugnay ng balak ng Kongreso na ipagpaliban ang eleksyon at ang pangunahing dahilan ay ang desisyon ng Korte Suprema kaugnay ng lalawigan ng Sulu," Escudero said.
The Senate President said that he is optimistic that Marcos will certify his proposal given the importance of the measure and the tight schedule of the Senate and the House of Representatives for the remainder of the 19th Congress.
But for the MILF, the parliamentary elections should proceed next year consistent with the pronouncements of the President.
“Be it further resolved, to convey to the Houses of Congress, as they deliberate on the pending bills related to the resetting of the parliamentary elections in the BARMM, to consider allowing holdover capacity arrangements in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to maximize any additional time for the transition period, minimize disruption of service delivery, and ensure continuity of priorities and programs until the elections for the regular Bangsamoro government,” the resolution added.
The Bangsamoro parliament is led by top MILF leadership who are also the key leaders of the group's political party United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP).