For the third time, the Commission on Election postponed the parliamentary election of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which was originally scheduled for October 13. This came after the Supreme Court declared the Bangsamoro Autonomous Act 77 (BAA 77) unconstitutional, which reassigned seven parliamentary seats originally reserved for Sulu to other districts in BARMM.

The court also nullified the Bangsamoro Autonomous Act 58 (BAA 58) or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Districts Act of 2024, the original law that divided BARMM into districts, then including Sulu. The court ordered the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to create a new redistricting plan and submit it by October 30. It also rescheduled the election to the end of March 2026.

Sulu is not part of BARMM after the majority of its residents refused to include their province in BARMM. This means Sulu remains a regular province under the national government.

Lanao del Sur congressman Zia Alonto Adiong was one to first criticize the Supreme Court’s decision. He said the court’s move to postpone the election surprised him, since the petition before the court only concerned BAA 77. He said Senate and Congress should determine the election date.

The court earlier issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against BAA 77 on September 16, which Comelec used to temporarily halt election preparations. Comelec said BAA 77 was “illegal and impossible” to implement and would only cause confusion, disenfranchisement, and delays in the printing of ballots and election machines.

The MILF’s United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) and the MNLF’s Bangsamoro Party (BaPa) opposed Comelec’s decision. UBJP said that even without BAA 77, Comelec could use existing election laws so it would not be “paralyzed in fulfilling its duty to conduct the election in BARMM.” On September 26, UBJP members protested before Comelec to express their grievances.

“We are fully prepared for the election,” UBJP president and MILF chairman Al Haj Murad said. He and the Bangsamoro considered the election originally set in October as the “key to establishing a leadership chosen by the Bangsamoro people.”

“We are pushing for the immediate holding of the election. Until we have an election, the doors remain open for the Philippine Government’s continued interference in BARMM’s governance,” he said.

According to UBJP, the election is not only about voting. More importantly, it is about respecting autonomy, honoring peace agreements, and strengthening the right to self-determination of the Moro people.