9,000 cops on standby to assist BARMM polls, Comelec says

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Wednesday that 9,000 Philippine National Police personnel will be on standby to serve in the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) if teachers are unable to serve.

Comelec chairperson George Garcia said such preparations were made to avoid what happened during the 2022 polls, when no teachers served in Cotabato City.

“Meron kaming standby na 9,000 PNP personnel na aming i-te-train at i-ssuehan ng certification kung sakaling may mga guro na hindi maglingkod sa araw ng eleksyon, meron kaming kapalit sa kanila,” Garcia said at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay.

(We have 9,000 standby PNP personnel who we will train and issue Election Officer's Certification to in case some teachers are unable to serve on election day, so we have replacements for them.)

Comelec is also looking to proclaim the winners of the BARMM polls two days after the election, since the elections are automated.

This could prevent tampering with votes and ease the burden of transporting ballots from island municipalities.

The 80-member BARMM parliament is composed of 40 political parties, 32 parliamentary districts, and 8 sectoral organizations.

The three-day filing period for district representatives and party members was from May 5 to 7.

Meanwhile, the BARMM parliamentary elections are scheduled for September 14, 2026.

There are 16 political parties and 23 sectoral organizations accredited to file their candidacies for the upcoming BARMM polls.

In March, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the law resetting the first regular elections in the BARMM to September 14, 2026.

Republic Act 12317 stated that “the first regular election for the Bangsamoro Government under this Organic Law shall be held on the second Monday of September 2026.”

To synchronize the BARMM parliamentary elections with the national and local elections, succeeding BARMM elections will be held on the second Monday of May 2031 and every three years thereafter.

The first elected BARMM officials will serve a five-year term starting from noon of October 30, 2026 to noon of June 30, 2031. —VAL, GMA News