At A Glance
- The House of Representatives has ratified a measure postponing the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elections.
The House of Representatives has ratified a measure postponing the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elections.
During Wednesday's plenary session, lawmakers agreed to move the polls from May 12 to Oct. 13, 2025 after approving the Bicameral Conference Committee report that reconciled the differences between House Bill (HB) No.11144 and Senate Bill (SB) No.2924.
They also agreed that the next elections will occur after three years and will be synchronized with the 2028 national elections.

During the extension of the Transition Period, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) shall continue as the interim government in the region.
Its interim members shall serve until their successors shall have been elected and qualified, according to the committee report.
On Tuesday, Feb. 4, House Deputy Minority Leader and Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman refused to sign the committee report as he opposed his fellow lawmakers' move to reset the upcoming BARMM elections.
"If we really want peace, let the Bangsamoro people freely choose their own leaders through the elections in May 2025," he said.
For Hataman, the six-year transition period that the region has already undergone is already enough time for the Bangsamoro people to choose their own leaders.
Hataman also said that the bicam-approved measure also contradicted the constitutional mandate on the tenure of local officials.
Meanwhile, Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Carlito Galvez, Jr. thanked both houses of Congress for passing the bicameral conference committee report.
He said their move is a testament of their "unwavering commitment to the Bangsamoro peace process, particularly in giving the BARMM government more time to address pressing concerns in preparation for the upcoming regional elections".
“The OPAPRU extends its deepest gratitude to the honorable members of the Senate and House of Representatives for heeding the call of President Marcos and all our peace stakeholders to move the BARMM elections to a later date,” Galvez said.