MANILA (September 30) — According to poll watchdog Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has no legal basis to postpone the parliamentary elections in Muslim Mindanao’s Bangsamoro Autonomous Region on October 13.
LENTE contended that, contrary to the Comelec decision, the Supreme Court’s ruling halting the execution of the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) 77 does not constitute “force majeure.”
“The temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the High Court is not an adequate cause to postpone the entirety of the parliamentary election since it is limited in application to the implementation of BAA 77, which only affects the candidates for district representatives,” says the coalition.
LENTE asserts that the TRO “did not render the holding of free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible elections impossible.”
“There is no legal basis for Comelec to postpone the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections on its own initiative,” the group stated in its submission to the poll commission.
LENTE emphasized the Comelec’s duty to conduct the election as mandated by Republic Act 12123, saying the poll authority, “following its constitutional mandate and requirement of the law, and as a matter of general course, must conduct the parliamentary elections on Oct. 13.”
The Comelec already stated that it is “legally and factually impossible” to hold the election on schedule.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia stated that the poll board will make a decision on whether or not to postpone the election this week.
