Comelec suspends preparations for BARMM polls

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday suspended its preparations for the 2025 Bangsamoro elections after the Supreme Court (SC) issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the implementation of a Bangsamoro Act that reallocated seven parliamentary districts previously assigned to Sulu.

“Ang Comelec en banc ay nagdesisyon, bilang pagtalima sa in-issue na TRO ng Kataas-taasang Hukuman kahapon, ay nagsu-suspend ng lahat ng preparations patungkol sa conduct ng elections sa October 13 simula ngayong araw na ito,” Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia told reporters. 

(The Comelec en banc has decided, in compliance with the TRO issued by the Supreme Court yesterday, to suspend all preparations for the conduct of the elections on October 13 effective today.)

“Binigyan kaagad namin ng utos ang ating Law Department upang makipag-ugnayan sa Solicitor General bilang abogado ng ating commission para mag-file kami by tomorrow sa SC nang kaagad na manifestation na bilang pagtalima sa kanilang inutos na TRO kahapon kami ay nagsuspendi ng lahat ng preparations,” Garcia added. 

(We immediately ordered our Law Department to reach out to the Solicitor General as the commission's lawyer so that we can file with the SC by tomorrow an immediate manifestation that in compliance with the TRO issued yesterday, we have suspended all preparations.)

On Tuesday, the SC issued the TRO, enjoining the Comelec, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), and all persons acting under their authority from implementing the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. (BAA) 77, pending the final resolution of the case.

BAA No. 77 or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Act of 2025 amended BAA No. 58 and redistricted the vacant seats in light of an SC decision excluding Sulu from the autonomous region.

“Ang sabi sa Comelec, huwag niyo munang ipatupad habang pinag-aaralan namin kung 'yan ba ay legal, valid, at constitutional na batas.  So inatasan lang tayo ng Korte Suprema sa bagay na yan pero hindi sinasabi na buhay muli ang BAA 58. Yan ang epekto ng TRO,” the poll chief said. 

(The SC told us not to implement the law while they are still studying if it is legal, valid, and constitutional. They are just instructing us. There is no statement that they will revive BAA 58. That's the effect of the TRO)

Garcia said that it is still uncertain if the polls scheduled for October 13 will take place.  

“Ang Comelec ay walang kapangyarihan mag-fix ng date ng election. Only Congress can fix the date of the elections. Kung ma-reset as a consequence ng TRO at pag-suspend namin in compliance sa TRO, wala kaming mao-offer na sagot kung kailan yung halalan kung sakali,” he said. 

(The Comelec has no authority to fix the date of the election. Only the Congress can fix the date of the elections. We cannot offer a definite date if the elections will be reset as a consequence of the TRO or the suspension of the preparations in compliance with the TRO.)

“Mananatili naka-suspend lahat ng ginagawa natin until the TRO is lifted or until the SC issues a final ruling sa case involving the legality of BAA 77,” Garcia added. 

(All of our preparations will be suspended until the TRO is lifted or until the SC issues a final ruling on the case involving the legality of BAA 77.)

The first-ever Bangsamoro polls were reset from May 12 to October 13, 2025 after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in February signed a law postponing them. 

The suspension came months after the SC, in September 2024, upheld the validity of the Bangsamoro Organic Law but declared that Sulu was not part of BARMM. The Court denied motions seeking the reversal of the decision in November 2024.

The SC ruling necessitated the redistribution of the seven vacated seats originally allocated to Sulu under the Bangsamoro Electoral Code. The BTA issued BAA 77 in August but Comelec said it would not implement the law due to “lack of material time” for the preparations.  —VBL, GMA Integrated News