Comelec to invalidate COCs for BARMM if…

MANILA, Philippines — The certificates of candidacy (COC) filed by aspirants for the May 2025 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao polls will be invalidated if the parliamentary elections in BARMM will be postponed, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.

The COCs would be honored, according to Comelec Chairman George Garcia, only if the law postponing the BARMM elections to 2026 would recognize the certificates as valid.

“But under ordinary circumstances, all filings for candidacy will be invalidated,” Garcia said.

Senate President Francis Escudero filed Senate Bill 2682 to postpone the May 12, 2025 elections in BARMM to May 11, 2026. Speaker Martin Romualdez filed the counterpart Bill 11034 in the House of Representatives.

The Comelec central office in Manila started receiving the COCs, manifestations of intent to participate and other documents from the BARMM field offices yesterday after the aspirants filed their candidacy documents from Nov. 4 to 9.

There are 111 aspirants for a parliamentary district seat and seven regional parties with 279 nominees, the Comelec said.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has fielded candidates and is against the postponement. Poll watchdogs are also opposing the proposal.