Manila, Philippines – The House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms approved a bill seeking to postpone the 2025 parliamentary elections in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
House Bill 11034 seeks to reschedule the supposed May 12, 2025 polls to May 11, 2026 instead for the first general parliamentary elections in the region.
Upon the nod to the bill, the panel also approved its consolidation.
Bill authors, including House Speaker Martin Romualdez, explained that this bill will provide more time to prepare and resolve the recent political and legal developments in the region before enacting the parliamentary polls.
These includes the recent decision of the Supreme Court to exclude the province of Sulu as part of BARMM, which affects the composition of the parliament.
Once enacted, the President shall appoint 80 new interim members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority that will serve until successors are elected.