MANILA (October 5) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has lifted the gun ban in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) following the Supreme Court’s decision to postpone the BARMM Parliamentary Elections (BPE) to 2026.
In Minute Resolution No. 25-1055 dated October 3, the Comelec en banc ordered the lifting of all election-related prohibitions, including the ban on carrying firearms in the entire BARMM region and Isabela City, Basilan.
The poll body said it will revise the BPE calendar of activities to comply with the Court’s directive, with elections to be held no later than March 31, 2026. Preparations for the originally scheduled October 13 polls have been suspended.
The Supreme Court struck down Bangsamoro Autonomy Acts Nos. 58 and 77 as unconstitutional, prompting Comelec to declare earlier submissions from political parties and stakeholders moot. The Bangsamoro Transition Authority has until October 30 to comply with the Court’s directive on parliamentary districts.
The SC en banc voted 11-3, with one abstention, to reset the BPE not later than March 31, 2026.
