The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has expressed openness to holding the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections in September 2026.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia conveyed this position during a hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on Resetting the First Regular Elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Thursday.

The elections have already been postponed four times. This year, they were originally scheduled for March 30, 2026. However, Comelec again deferred the polls, citing insufficient time to complete preparations.

During the hearing, Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) member and BTA Parliament Committee on Local Government chair Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo appealed to Congress to formally set a new election date.

“The Parliament is committed to ensuring na wala nang dagdag na magiging problema arising out of the Parliament’s action. Kasi nandiyan na ho, sufficient enough yung legal framework to conduct the elections. We are hoping Congress, under it’s mandate to set the date for elections, would already set it,” Garcia replied.

“We can conduct the election in 2026,” he added.

Garcia explained that complications arose after the Bangsamoro Parliament enacted a new districting law in January 2026. Under Republic Act No. 8189, or the Voter’s Registration Act of 1996, changes to municipalities and precincts are prohibited within 120 days before an election—prompting the postponement of the March 30 polls.

He noted that a May 2026 election could have been possible, but two additional changes introduced by the Bangsamoro Parliament affected the timeline. These involved setting aside previously accredited political parties and sectoral organizations and requiring them to undergo a new accreditation process to be directly elected.

According to Garcia, the new accreditation process would take around three to four months.

He also raised concerns about a planned plebiscite to divide the municipality of Datu Odin Sinsuat into three separate units, which would again necessitate amendments to the districting law. Sinarimbo suggested holding the plebiscite after the elections, a proposal Garcia said Comelec has no objection to.

Garcia further emphasized that the three-year term of elected Bangsamoro officials must be respected, as mandated by the Constitution. He said a special law may be enacted to clarify that the Bangsamoro elections will not be synchronized with the national and local elections.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, who presided over the hearing, said it is more important for Bangsamoro parliament members to serve full terms rather than synchronising future BARMM elections with the May 2028 national and local polls at the expense of shortening the terms of those elected in 2026.

Legislation is required to formally reset the schedule of the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections.

Zubiri urged that the elections be held as soon as possible.

“It is starting to feel like we have trapped ourselves in a loop,” Zubiri remarked.

“This cycle of disenfranchisement is not where we want to be, seven years since the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law. This is not the future of democratic peace and efficient governance that we envisioned for the region,” he added.

Zubiri acknowledged that previous postponements were justified but said repeated delays are no longer acceptable.

“If we put the elections off any longer, then I am afraid that we will be slowly undoing our work of peace and progress in the Bangsamoro region. Instead, we will begin to breed unrest and disillusionment,” Zubiri commented.

Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito also underscored the importance of democratic participation.

“While we are all committed to the pursuit of peace, we must remember that genuine peace comes from a genuine voice. It is born from the democratic exercise of the right to suffrage.”

“Makakatiyak po kayo na susuportahan natin ang anumang panukala na magbibigay ng totoo at matatag na kapayapaan sa rehiyon,” Ejercito added.

The Office of the Special Assistant to the President (OSAP) said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. supports the conduct of the long-awaited Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections.

In a separate interview, Garcia reiterated that the polls remain a priority for Comelec.

“The Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections is a very important event, historic moment sa atin because ito po yung katuparan ng peace process natin,” Garcia said.

Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez likewise emphasized that holding the elections is crucial to preventing renewed conflict in the region.

A House version of the measure scheduling the election date has already been approved at the committee level, setting the next Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections on September 14, 2026, and every three years thereafter.

-Paraluman News