BARMM 2022 polls will push through regardless of transition –top minister

The local elections in the Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will still push through -- except for the seats in the parliament -- even if the transition period is extended until 2025, Chief Minister Ahod "Al Haj Murad" Ebrahim said Friday.

"The extension is not for the local government. The extension is only for the transition authority," Ebrahim told reporters in a conference organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

"The barangay captains, the mayors, the governors will continue the elections in 2022," he added.

Even after the proposed end of the transition period in 2025, these local government positions will continue to exist alongside the BARMM Parliament, according to the Chief Minister.

Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law, 50%  of the 80 parliamentary seats in BARMM will be for party representatives, 40% will be for district representatives, and 10% for reserved and sectoral representatives.

"These district representatives are only [for] parliamentary setup. It does not affect the executive functions of the barangay captains, the mayors, and the governors. Walang pagbabago doon," Ebrahim argued.

The enactment of the Bangsamoro Organic Law in 2018 and its ratification the following year paved the way for the creation of BARMM.

Two years at the helm of power, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority is asking to extend the transition period for three more years until 2025.

"The call for extension is not about political power but because we really see the need for this extension in order to complete the implementation of the agreement," Ebrahim said.

On the other hand, five bills have already been filed in the House of Representatives for the postponement of the first parliamentary elections in BARMM, and two in the Senate.

Ebrahim said he expects this measure -- transition extension -- would reach the President's table by May. —LBG, GMA News