Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia announced the postponement of the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) slated on March 30, 2026, citing certain legal and operational concerns and after such postponement was approved by the Comelec en banc during a regular session on Wednesday.
Garcia said: “Gusto ko lang i-announce na yung Comelec en banc, ngayun-ngayon lamang (Miyerkules), sa pagtatapos ng aming sesyon, inaprubahan namin ang isang resolusyon na kung saan ay opisyal naming idinideklarang postponed ang March 30, 2026 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections. Ito ay matapos na magrekomenda ang aming Executive Director, ang aming Law Department at ang aming Bangsamoro Study Group, na legally and operationally, ay hindi na po kayang maisagawa ang eleksiyon sa March 30.”
“Una, legally, sapagkat hindi na po ito magko-comply o masusunod yung instruction ng ating Kataas-taasang Hukuman na pupwedeng magsagawa ang Comelec ng tinatawag na Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections kung ito ay hindi nasa loob ng 120 araw bago ang eleksiyon dahil ito (redistricting law) ay kalalagda lamang ng Chief Minister noong nakaraang linggo lamang at ito po ay hindi pa effective hanggang sa kasalukuyan dahil hindi pa po ito napa-publish,” he added.
Garica cited the redistricting measure approved by the parliament in the third and last reading last January 13 and signed by Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua binto law on January 20.
Meanwhile, Comelec spokesman Atty. John Rex Laudiangco explained that a law only becomes as such after 15 days and following publication in newspapers of general circulation.
Laudiangco said it will take about up to the second or third week of February before such becomes law and thus no longer falls under the 120- day requirement before election day, which is prohibited under Republic Act 8189.
“Operationally, hindi na rin po namin kaya ang isang buwan at dalawang linggo para isagawa ang halalan na yan dahil ito ay automated election,” Garcia explained, adding that they will just await a law from Congress that will set the new date for the BPE.
According to Laudiangco, the calendar of activities for the BPE including the gun ban, were supposed to start this Wednesday but were set aside in the meantime.
The Comelec, he said, is set to forward a manifestation to the Supreme Court to explain that their decision to postpone said polls was pursuant to directive to the poll body.
It was learned that their executive director, law department and the Bangsamoro Study Group have recommended that ‘legally and operationally,’ the poll body cannot hold the slated BPE on March 30 due to lack of a redistricting law for the Bangsamoro Parliament and insufficient time to prepare for the said elections.
