Lawmakers push for September 14, 2026 vote, aiming to end repeated election delays and stabilize the Bangsamoro transition.
COTABATO CITY (February 27) — The Senate has approved on second reading Senate Bill 1823, moving the first Bangsamoro Parliament election to September 14, 2026, in what its sponsor described as a decisive step to break a “cycle of disenfranchisements” in the autonomous region.
The proposed measure resets the long-delayed parliamentary polls in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where elections have been deferred four times since 2022 amid legal and structural challenges.
Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, the bill’s author, and Senate Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson introduced blended amendments that fixed the first Bangsamoro Parliament Election (BPE) on the second Monday of September 2026, with elected officials assuming office on Oct. 30 that year.
A subsequent election is scheduled for May 2031 to synchronize with national and local polls. Those elected would assume office 30 days after the vote.
Legal clouds linger
During interpellations, Senate Minority Floor Leader Rodante Marcoleta backed the bill but sought assurances that it would withstand constitutional scrutiny.
At issue is Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) 86 — the region’s revised redistricting law enacted after the Supreme Court of the Philippines excluded Sulu from BARMM.
An earlier districting measure, BAA 77, was struck down by the high court, triggering the cancellation of the October 13, 2025 BARMM parliamentary elections and leaving the region scrambling to realign its electoral framework.
Zubiri said the new districting law underwent extensive legal vetting, citing retired Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna, who reportedly expressed optimism over the measure’s legal footing.
“We cannot predict if someone will question this law,” Zubiri said, adding that the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) worked to address constitutional concerns, particularly on alleged gerrymandering.
Appointments under challenge
Complicating matters is a pending petition questioning the validity of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s appointment of interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua and six other members of the 80-seat BTA.
Macacua’s leadership followed the replacement of Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), who later clarified he was “not opposed” to the transition, calling Macacua a legitimate MILF member.
Zubiri said any debate over appointments would ultimately be resolved through an elected parliament.
Stakes for peace
The repeated postponements, lawmakers warned, carry real consequences for the fragile peace process in Mindanao.
“So, if we keep postponing and postponing and postponing, war will really break out again in Mindanao, particularly in the Bangsamoro region,” Zubiri cautioned, expressing hope that the Supreme Court would uphold BAA 86.
For key stakeholders — including the MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front — the shift from armed struggle to electoral politics is central to the autonomy framework.
With the Senate’s approval on second reading, the proposed reset now moves closer to final passage — a critical test of whether the Bangsamoro transition can finally anchor itself on ballots instead of bullets.
