1 week Ago By Alexa Yadao
The cited reasons for deferring the BARMM elections—namely, the Supreme Court ruling on the province of Sulu’s exclusion, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority’s (BTA) request for more transition time, and general governance concerns—do not present an urgent, substantial, or compelling justification for postponement. The right of suffrage mandates that elections are genuine and periodic to affirm the people’s will in governance. Delaying elections risks undermining the democratic process by deferring the voters’ voice and leaving interim officials without a strong and direct mandate from the people.
November 7, 2024, Quezon City. The Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) opposes the proposal to postpone the first 2025 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections. While LENTE acknowledges Congress’s efforts in addressing the complexities surrounding BARMM, LENTE believes that this proposal fails to meet the strict criteria set by the Supreme Court in Macalintal vs.
Executive Secretary for election postponement. Regular, periodic elections are fundamental to democracy and should only be postponed under truly exceptional and compelling circumstances. Furthermore, none of the reasons constitutes a public emergency or other critical exigency demanding a delay.
The issue of Sulu’s exclusion from the BARMM, while significant, does not prevent BARMM residents from exercising their voting rights for the remaining 73 parliamentary seats. By failing to present a compelling justification, these reasons may appear superficial when weighed against the significant democratic right to timely, periodic, and genuine elections. We heard Chairperson George Garcia, in a number of public pronouncements, assuring the general public that the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is ready for the conduct of the 2025 BARMM Parliamentary Elections.
These pronouncements should be enough to dismiss the extension justification to give more time for the COMELEC to prepare for the 2025 BARMM Parliamentary Elections. We call on the COMELEC to continue informing the general public on its timeline and preparations for the elections. Any adjustments to the timeline must be justified only by the highest standards of public necessity and clearly communicated to maintain public confidence in the electoral process.
We also urge Congress to consult not only the public but also key election stakeholders on the ground. Any sign that these bills would be railroaded, or expedited, without the necessary and effective consultations would contribute to the sentiment that the national government is again meddling in the affairs of the region. We recommend that consultations should be done at every province in the BARMM, and not only at the national level, to ensure that all voices and perspectives are heard and considered in the consideration of these bills.
Most importantly, the first BARMM Parliamentary Elections serve as an essential part of the peace process that has spanned decades and countless sacrifices. This first election represents a significant step towards providing the Bangsamoro people an opportunity to exercise the right to self-determination and autonomy which they have long fought for and have unjustifiably been deprived of. Undermining this process by again postponing elections may further deprive the Bangsamoro and the Philippines of the peace both have long yearned for.
BACKGROUND On Oct. 22, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) adopted Resolution No. 641, requesting both houses of Congress to extend the transition period from 2025 to 2028 to prepare for a “smooth democratic transition adequately,” according to the explanatory note of the bill.
On November 4, upon President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s request, Senate President Francis Escudero filed Senate Bill 2862 seeking to postpone the first BARMM elections from May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2026. The following day, House Bill 11034, authored by Speaker Martin Romualdez and Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong, was filed which mirrors a proposal introduced by Senate President Francis Escudero in the Senate.
At the center of the above mentioned resolution and filed bills is the Supreme Court decision on September 9, 2024, which ruled that the province of Sulu is not a part of BARMM, citing the province’s rejection of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) during the 2019 plebiscite. The Bangsamoro Government through the Bangsamoro Attorney General’s Office filed on Oct. 1 a motion for leave to intervene and to admit the attached motion for partial reconsideration, praying to be a party to the case, which involves the severance of Sulu from the region, and to re-include the province to the Bangsamoro region.
### For inquiries regarding LENTE’s Statement, please contact: Atty. Ona Caritos Executive Director 09175760810.
