OPAPRU lauds passage of Senate bill resetting BARMM polls

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) on Tuesday welcomed the Senate’s approval of a bill rescheduling the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. described the move as a “strategic step to ensure that the transition process is inclusive, legally sound, and fully prepared for this historic exercise of democracy.”

“At the heart of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) is the promise of self-governance,” Galvez said.

“It is a fundamental deliverable of the peace agreement that the people of BARMM have the opportunity to elect their own leaders through a peaceful, orderly, and credible parliamentary election,” he added.

According to Galvez, the bill provides the “necessary time to resolve crucial voter registration requirements and other preparations, ensuring that no Bangsamoro voice is left behind.”

“Holding these elections is vital to the legitimacy and long-term stability of the Bangsamoro government. This milestone brings us one step closer to fulfilling the aspirations of our brothers and sisters in BARMM to determine their own future and strengthen the foundations of lasting peace in Mindanao,” he said.

On Monday, the Senate unanimously approved the measure, which resets the first regular BARMM elections to September 14, 2026, and schedules subsequent elections every three years.

Its counterpart in the House of Representatives, meanwhile, remains under committee review.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) had earlier urged lawmakers to reset the elections after formally postponing the inaugural parliamentary polls for the fourth time in January due to “legal and operational” constraints following delays in passing the BARMM redistricting law.

In October 2025, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the postponement of elections originally set for October 13, after declaring two districting laws—Bangsamoro Autonomy Acts (BAAs) 58 and 77—unconstitutional.

BAA 77, or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Act of 2025, amended BAA 58 and redistricted vacant seats following an SC ruling excluding Sulu from BARMM.

The SC also directed the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to pass a redistricting bill by October 30 and instructed the Comelec to conduct the BARMM parliamentary elections no later than March 31, 2026.—MCG, GMA Integrated News