Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson George Erwin Garcia announced that the poll body has suspended preparations for the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections, after the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) for the implementation of the Bangsamoro law that redistributed seven parliamentary seats originally slated for Sulu.
The suspension that began on Wednesday will be effective up to the time when the SC lifts the TRO or resolves the validity of the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 77.
“Ang Comelec en banc ay nagdesisyon, bilang pagtalima sa inisyu 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,” Garcia said.
“Binigyan kaagad namin ng utos ang ating Law Department upang makipag-ugnayan sa Solicitor General bilang abogado ng ating commission para mag-file kami by tomorrow sa SC nang kaagad na manifestation na bilang pagtalima sa kanilang inutos na TRO kahapon kami ay nagsuspendi ng lahat ng preparations,” Garcia said, adding that there is no certainty if the October 13 polls will push through despite the suspension of operations.
Last year, the SC decided that Sulu is not part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) after the province rejected the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) that created the BARMM.
BAA No. 77 or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Act of 2025 amended BAA No. 58 and redistricted the vacant positions owing to the SC decision that excludes Sulu from the autonomous region.
