Marcos certifies as urgent BARMM elections postponement

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has certified the bill postponing the first-ever Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as urgent, Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero disclosed Tuesday.

"May sinertify si Pangulong Marcos na BARMM election postponement," Escudero said in a press conference.

He, however, did not mention if the bill that was certified as urgent was the Senate or the House of Representatives' version of the bill.

The Senate version, which is currently on second reading, proposed to move the BARMM polls from May 11, 2025 to August 11,2025.

The bill that was approved on third and final reading in the House of Representatives proposed to defer the polls to May 2026.

GMA News Online sought a copy of Marcos' letter to Congress, which certified the bill as urgent, from Escudero's office and Malacañang, but they have yet to provide as of posting time.

According to Escudero, he has already discussed the certification of the bill as urgen with Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III. Pimentel has been opposing the idea of passing bills using the presidential certification without a real emergency.

"Kinikilala naman talga niya na urgent talaga ito dahil kailangang pagpasyahan, one way or the other, kung ipo-postpone nga ba 'yung BARMM elections o hindi bago kami mag adjourn," Escudero said.

"Kung mag-adjourn kami wala nang sapat na oras para ito'y i-reset pa kung yun nga ang pasya ng mayorya pag resume namin sa May 20, tapos na ang eleksyon," he explained.

But even without the presidential certification, Escudero said the Senate is eyeing to pass the bill on third reading next week.

He also disclosed that the Senate's version might be amended to postpone the BARMM polls by five months as suggested by the security officials and in consideration of the processes that need to be undertaken due to the exclusion of Sulu from the BARMM.

"Binibigyan lang ng sapat na allowance at leeway kesa naman bumalik na naman sila sa Kongreso at humiling ng dagdag na dalawang buwan o isang buwan pang extension," Escudero said.

To recall, Escudero is the principal author of the bill postponing the BARMM polls in the Senate.

He filed the bill "upon the Palace's  request." —NB, GMA Integrated News