The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has clarified that it has no power to fix the date of an election following the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court (SC) against the implementation of a Bangsamoro Act that reallocated seven parliamentary districts previously assigned to Sulu.
On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, 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 BARMM.
Because of the TRO, the poll body suspended its preparations for the October 13, 2025 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.
“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,” said Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia.
“Mananatiling suspended ang lahat ng election preparations para sa 2025 BARMM PE hanggang sa pagkakataon na i-lift ng Korte Suprema ang TRO, o kapag nagbaba na ang Korte Suprema ng pinal na desisyon tungkol sa constitutionality o legality ng Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 77 o “Bangsamoro Redistricting Act of 2025,” the poll body added in a Facebook post.
However, Garcia clarified that while the COMELEC has suspended its preparations, this does not mean it has reset or postponed the BARMM elections as it has no authority to set the date of an election.
“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,” Garcia said.
“Lubos po ang paggalang ng inyong Commission on Elections sa mga umiiral na batas, at kami ay mananatiling tapat sa aming mandato at nakahanda na tumalima sa kung ano man magiging desisyon sa usaping ito,” COMELEC added.
The poll body said that all prohibitions pertaining to the elections, including gun ban, are still in effect.
Meanwhile, Bangsamoro Transition Authority member Abdullah Macapaar and others on Friday asked the SC to direct the COMELEC to resume its preparations for the Bangsamoro elections.
The petitioners filed a very urgent motion, with leave, for clarification of the temporary restraining order and reiteration of status quo and mandatory injunction.
“Itong petition namin nakakatulong ito sa Comelec para gawin nila ‘yung mandate nila na ituloy ang election dahil hindi nila kayang ituloy ang election based on the BAA 77,” Ranao Charitables Initiatives chairman Maulana Mamutuk said.
Mamutuk said that the TRO was issued against BAA 77 and not the Comelec’s preparations.
“Kasi hindi namin hiningi na i-postpone ang election. Ang hiningi namin, ‘yung bagong batas na hindi kayang ipatupad ng Comelec, ‘yun ang hihinto, para mabigyan ng daan ang Comelec na itupad nila ‘yung constitutional mandate nila,” Mamutuk said.
(With reports from GMA News Online)
