House votes to move first BARMM elections to 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives voted 198-4 on Tuesday, December 17 to postpone the first-ever Bangsamoro elections from 2025 to May 2026, marking the second delay of the historic polls.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) first general elections were initially set to coincide with the 2025 midterm polls in May. 

House lawmakers including Speaker Martin Romualdez, who authored House Bill 11144 to reset the BARMM elections, said more time is needed for the region to “resolve various emerging legal issues.”

One of its objectives is to also provide the region “a more enhanced understanding of the new electoral process.”  

Among the concerns surrounding the BARMM elections include the reallocation of seats since the Supreme Court ruled to exclude Sulu from the region. 

The high court’s decision, however, is still not final. Those in favor of postponing the elections argued that resetting it would allow the Supreme Court to rule with finality the status of Sulu and allot more time for educating voters.

Those who oppose the postponement, meanwhile, believe that it violates the Bangsamoro Organic Law. 

According to the law, the first regular election was supposed to be held during the 2022 national elections. 

However, this was moved to 2025 after BARMM officials cited the need to complete "transitional programs and projects" that were delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Any postponement is a direct violation of the democratic goal of the Bangsamoro to choose their leaders through regular elections,” Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers Party) said in a statement in Filipino. 

Castro added that the reasons for postponement such as the unfinished transition programs “should serve as a challenge” to speed up the process.

“The government’s incompetence or foot-dragging cannot be used as an excuse to suspend the rights of the people,” she said. 

The lawmaker said the Sulu’s exclusion should not be used as a reason. She referred to the Supreme Court’s ruling which said: 

“Constituents of each of the provinces and cities composing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) must be given the freedom to exercise their rights to suffrage and local autonomy, as guaranteed by the Constitution.”

Should the Senate approve its counterpart measure with no revisions and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. sign the bill, the BARMM’s first general elections will be moved to the second Monday of May 2026 or May 11, 2026. 

This would also be the second time the BARMM elections will be rescheduled.