Manila, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has temporarily suspended the printing of ballots for the October 13, 2025 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elections.
The commission made the decision after the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) passed Parliament Bill No. 351, or the Bangsamoro Redistricting Act of 2025, on its third and final reading.
The bill aims to divide the seven parliamentary district seats, which previously all belonged to Sulu.
Once the measure is fully enacted into law, Lanao del Sur will get nine seats; Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur will have five each; Basilan and Tawi-Tawi will receive four each; Cotabato City will have three; and the Special Geographic Area will be allocated two seats.
According to COMELEC, they will first study the potential implications of the proposed law on the ballots that are set to be printed.
It can be recalled that the official ballot printing for the BARMM elections was scheduled to begin today, August 21, at the National Printing Office, with around 2.3 million ballots expected to be printed.
As of now, COMELEC is still waiting for the official copy of the proposed measure to determine whether or not it will affect the upcoming October elections.
Further updates are expected as COMELEC evaluates the impact of the redistricting bill on the election process in BARMM.