THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced that it will resume this month the voter registration in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in connection with the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the decision to resume the voter registration in BARMM came after the suspension of the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections initially slated for March 30, 2026.
The voter registration in the region begins this month and will last up to March 30, he said.
It will be recalled that in October last year, the Comelec was supposed to continue the voter registration in the entire country all the way up to May 18, 2026. This does not include BARMM due to the parliamentary polls scheduled there.
Since the elections in the region has not pushed through, the Comelec decide to continue the voter registration there.
“Kami ay magkakaroon muli ng voters’ registration sa buong Bangsamoro ngayong February at tatagal ito hanggang March 30 para may makaboto sa November 2,” Garcia said.
“Sa kasalukuyan suspended ang voters’ registration sa Bangsamoro. Ang kadahilanan ay dahil kung natuloy ang March 30, ayaw namin ma-complicate dahil yung existing na batas ay nagsasabi na ang BPE ay pagpapatuloy ng national and local elections noong Mayo. Nangangahulugan na kung sino ang botante noong May 12, 2025 ay siya rin ang botante sa BPE, “Hindi natuloy ang March 30 kaya kailangan naming i-lift ang suspension,” Garcia explained further.
