The House of Representatives is waiting for a possible certification of urgency from Malacañang on the bill resetting the first regular parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

This, after the 300-plus strong legislative chamber approved House Bill (HB) No. 8220 during plenary session Tuesday afternoon via simple voice vote (ayes vs. nayes).

The measure seeks to reset BARMM's first regular parliamentary elections to the second Monday of September this year. It is one of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) priority measures.

Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, sponsor and principal author of HB No. 8220, says the bill is a necessary legal fix to protect the integrity of the peace process and to ensure that the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament is seated on firm constitutional footing.

Normally, a bill that had been passed on second reading may only be considered for third-reading approval after three session days. A certification of urgency from the Palace does away with this requirement.

Tuesday's plenary session came and went without such communication from President Marcos.

In his sponsorship speech for HB No. 8220, Adiong linked the bill’s urgency to the Bangsamoro region’s right to democratic self-governance and to a political settlement that can endure beyond personalities and transition arrangements.

The Mindanao solon pointed to the legal disruption created by Supreme Court (SC) rulings on the Bangsamoro parliamentary redistricting framework, particularly with the decision fo exclude Sulu from BARMM. He said the development created a gap that Congress must address in order to secure the legality and legitimacy of the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament.

“A legislative gap now exists that must be addressed to ensure the legality and legitimacy of the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament,” he noted.

HB No. 8220 solves this by setting the date of the first regular parliamentary elections in BARMM on the second Monday of September 2026, and every three years thereafter, and by directing the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to promulgate the rules and regulations for the conduct of the elections and enforce them pursuant to national laws, the Bangsamoro Organic Law and the Bangsamoro Electoral Code.

It also provides for a holdover arrangement during the extended transition period, allowing the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to continue as interim government until successors are elected and qualified.

Meanwhile, interim members may be replaced by the President or have their tenure shortened by election to another office or other causes.

To preserve continuity and readiness, the bill provides that the automated election system used in the May 12, 2025 national and local elections shall be employed for the first BARMM parliamentary election, including the machines, devices and equipment used, as well as the suppliers and providers involved in operation and maintenance.

Comelec is given authority to explore other modes of conducting the election if an automated system is no longer practicable given surrounding circumstances.

The Senate has already approved on third and final reading its version of the measure.