The plenary hall of the House of Representatives (Dexter Barro II/MANILA BULLETIN)

The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading the measure postponing the first regular elections of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) from May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2026.

During the plenary session on Tuesday, Dec. 17, a total of 198 lawmakers entered affirmative votes to House Bill (HB) No. 11144. Only four voted in the negative while nobody abstained.  

The bill is an amendment to Section 13, Article XVI of Republic Act (RA) No. 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

The provision was earlier amended when the BARMM elections was first postponed from 2022 to 2025.

The latest move to defer the BARMM elections to 2026 came after a ruling by the Supreme Court (SC) in September that excluded the province of Sulu from the region.

On Nov. 26, the SC affirmed the decision with finality after denying motions for reconsideration.

Under HB No. 11144, subsequent BARMM elections shall be held on the second Monday of May 2029 and every three years thereafter.

The bill mandates the Commission on Elections (Comelec), through the Bangsamoro Electoral Office (BEO), to promulgate rules and regulations for the conduct of the elections.

Once enacted, the President is mandated to appoint the 80 new interim members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), who shall serve until their successors have been elected and qualified.

As such, the term of the present BTA members shall be deemed expired upon the law’s effectiveness.

During the bill’s second reading approval last week, two amendments were introduced by Basilan lone district Rep. Mujiv Hataman. These were accepted by the plenary.

Hataman moved to adopt the automated elections in the conduct of the BARMM elections.

He also proposed that the BARMM government shall disburse Sulu’s share in the annual block grant for the undertaking of its programs next year.

‘Long step backward’

Hataman, a former governor of the now-defunct BARMM, was among the four lawmakers who voted “no” to the proposed legislation.

In his speech before the plenary, Hataman pointed out the severe implications in the desynchronization of the BARMM and national elections.

“Kung mangyari iyon, babalik ang pyudal na sistema kung saan kayang diktahan ng mga nasa Maynila ang takbo ng halalan sa Bangsamoro, na siya namang susuklian ng command votes ng mga magwawagi pagdating ng pambansang halalan,” the congressman said.

(If that happens, the feudal system will return where those in Manila can dictate the course of the Bangsamoro elections, which in turn will be reciprocated by command votes of the winners when the national elections come.)

“Babalik tayo sa siklo ng pagkapit sa kapangyarihan ng iilang personalidad at angkan,” he added.

(We will return to the cycle of clinging to the power of a few personalities and clans.)

Hataman, a deputy minority leader, argued that postponing the elections once again would be a “long step backward” in BARMM’s journey to strengthen its democracy and institutions.

He claims that since the region’s elections is a form of local elections, yanking it out-of-sync from the national elections would violate the Constitution.

The Basilan solon noted that the SC laid this out in the 2011 case of Kida vs. Senate of the Philippines.

Based on this jurisprudence, the national and local elections should be synchronized. Only the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections are exempted from this.

“Marami nang nag-file ng kandidatura, Mr. Speaker. Mga partido-politikal na patuloy ang preparasyon. Ramdam ko na rin ang pananabik ng aming mgakababayan para bumoto ng mga pinunong sasalamin sakanilang mga adhikain,” said Hataman.

(Many have already filed their candidacy, Mr. Speaker. Political parties that continue to prepare. I can feel the eagerness of our countrymen to vote for leaders who will reflect their aspirations.)

“Sagrado ang eleksyon. Dapat matuloy ang eleksyon sa Mayo ng 2025,” he emphasized.

(Elections are sacred. Elections should be held in May 2025.)

Aside from Hataman, the members of the Makabayan bloc—ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Women’s Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel—also opposed the approval of HB No. 11144.