COTABATO CITY(September 30) — A Bangsamoro civic group returned to the Supreme Court on Monday to press a petition challenging the law that created the region’s parliamentary districts, citing questions over the territorial makeup and geographic contiguity of several districts.
The challenge to Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 86 was filed before the Supreme Court in February 2026, with petitioners seeking to nullify the districting law and asking the Court to issue injunctive relief. The latest action came as supporters of the Save Bangsamoro Movement rallied to reiterate their objections to the law.
The group, through spokesperson Datu Toks Abdulrahman, urged the high tribunal to closely examine the population basis, boundaries and geographic configuration used in creating the parliamentary districts.
The movement is particularly questioning the 3rd Parliamentary District of Maguindanao del Norte, composed of Northern Kabuntalan, Kabuntalan and Talitay; two barangays of Cotabato City; and five barangays of Sultan Kudarat.
Abdulrahman questioned whether the district meets standards involving population, compactness, adjacency and geographic contiguity.
The group is also seeking review of the 2nd Parliamentary District of Lanao del Sur, covering Kapai, Marantao, Piagapo and Saguiaran, with Abdulrahman raising questions about Kapai’s geographic relationship with the other municipalities.
The movement, carrying the call “No to gerrymandering,” is asking the Supreme Court to declare BAA 86 unconstitutional based on the constitutional and geographic issues it has raised.
The Bangsamoro government, however, has said the districts were drawn using population size, existing political boundaries, geographic contiguity and accessibility.
BAA 86 was enacted on January 20, 2026, after the Supreme Court earlier struck down previous districting laws and directed the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to enact a new redistricting measure.
The law subsequently became the basis for the parliamentary district elections held on September 14.
The Supreme Court’s pending review could therefore affect the legal status of the district configurations used in the region’s first parliamentary elections.
