The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Wednesday that the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections scheduled for March 30, 2026 will be postponed. The decision was due to delays in the law reallocating Sulu's parliamentary seats.
According to Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, the Executive Director, Law Department, and Bangsamoro Study Group identified “legal and operational reasons” that prevented the poll body from conducting the elections on the scheduled date. He explained that it could no longer be conducted legally within the required timeframe set by the Supreme Court, which prohibits the conduct of elections within the 120-day window before the scheduled date.
Garcia added that the calendar of activities for the elections that were supposed to start this Wednesday night will be set aside and will no longer be implemented. According to him, “We can no longer afford a month and two weeks to conduct that election. Our calendar of activities also includes the election period that is supposed to start tonight, where the gun ban is also in place. It has been set aside because it is no longer valid and will no longer be implemented.”
The Congress needs to pass a new law to fix the new date for the Bangsamoro elections. Meanwhile, the Comelec will file a manifestation with the Supreme Court to explain their compliance with the Court's directive.
This step is part of ensuring transparency and legality in the elections, while continuing to monitor changes in the law that affect the parliamentary seats of the Bangsamoro region.
