The Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament conducts its third regular session on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. (Photo from Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament/Facebook)
MANILA, Philippines — The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament is pushing to postpone the 2025 parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), citing a proposed resolution that seeks to extend the transition period until 2028
The parliament on Tuesday adopted Resolution No. 641, requesting the House of Representatives and the Senate to extend the transition period to address key issues in the region.
“The call for extending further the transition period stems from the legal, administrative, and political challenges presently confronting the region, most notably the implications of the recent Supreme Court decision which upheld the validity of Republic Act No. 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law but excluded the province of Sulu,” said Floor Leader Sha Elijah Dumama-alba in her speech during the third regular session of the parliament.
READ: BARMM leaders shocked as Sulu cut from region
Dumama-alba said that the exclusion of Sulu province from BARMM may be legal but it “brought about legal and political ambiguities.”
Article continues after this advertisement
Furthermore, Dumama-alba noted that extending the transition period and postponing the parliamentary elections will ensure “broader political participation” for more inclusivity, adding that there were only four political parties accredited as of October 2024.
Article continues after this advertisement
She also said that the extension will provide more adequate voter education for the electorates as they will need more time to familiarize themselves with the parliamentary system.
READ: BARMM voters unaware of region’s polling system – study
Lastly, she added that the extension will allow the parliament to focus on sustaining the region’s economic growth and progress. BARMM Cabinet Secretary and Spokesperson Mohd Asnin Pendatun said last September that the region accumulated P4 billion worth of investments this year.
BTA Bill No. 29, introduced in September 2022, paved the way for BARMM residents to elect their leaders.
The region is under the Moro Islamic Liberation Front-led interim government or the BTA.
The institutional life of the BTA was extended to 2025 to give way for lawmakers to establish key foundations for autonomy.
Meanwhile, Commission on Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that the poll body will continue with their preparations for the elections.
“We will defer to the sound judgment and wisdom of Congress on this matter. However, our preparations shall proceed as scheduled,” he said in a Viber message to the media.
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.
READ: Comelec moves COC filing for BARMM parliamentary polls to Nov 4-9
