At A Glance
- The law, signed on Feb. 19, states that the future elections in BARMM will be synchronized with national elections and will take place every three years thereafter, scheduling the next polls to 2028.
President Marcos has signed Republic Act (RA) No. 12123, resetting the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to Oct. 13, 2025, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed.

The law, signed on Feb. 19, states that the future elections in BARMM will be synchronized with national elections and will take place every three years thereafter, scheduling the next polls to 2028.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec), through the Bangsamoro Electoral Office, is tasked with issuing rules and regulations for the elections and ensuring their enforcement.
Based on the law, officials elected in the October 2025 elections will assume office at noon on Oct. 30.
Candidates who have already filed their certificates of candidacy for parliamentary seats in BARMM will automatically be considered for the October 2025 elections. However, new candidacy filings and changes to nominees will not be allowed, except in cases of death or disqualification.
During the extended transition period, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) will continue to serve as the interim government of BARMM. The BTA members will remain in office unless they are replaced by the President or their tenure is shortened due to their election to another position.
The new law likewise ensures that programs in BARMM, including those funded through the national government’s block grant, will proceed in 2025 as planned.
The Bangsamoro parliamentary elections in October 2025 will not be treated as a special election but as a continuation of the 2025 National and Local Elections.
The postponement of the BARMM elections from May to October 2025 is intended to allow the transition government more time to ensure a smooth and stable shift to a fully elected regional government.
Last month, President Marcos certified as urgent the bill that postpones the BARMM elections to address the urgent need of the Bangsamoro transitional government to realign its governance structure.
The postponement is also seen to ensure that the region's aspirations for unity, inclusivity, and genuine autonomy are achieved.