The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) en banc has officially postponed the inaugural Bangsamoro parliamentary elections originally scheduled for March 30, 2026, citing legal and operational constraints.
“Gusto kong i-announce na ang COMELEC en banc sa pagtatapos ng aming session ay inaprubahan namin ang isang resolution kung saan opisyal naming dinedeklarang postponed ang March 30, 2026 Bangsamoro Parliamentary elections,” COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin Garcia told reporters.
He explained, “Ito ay matapos mag-rekomenda ang aming executive director, law department and Bangsamoro study group na legally and operationally, hindi na kayang maisagawa ang elections sa March 30.”
The delay follows the recent passage of Bangsamoro Proposed Bill No. 415, signed into law by Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, which defined the 32 parliamentary districts.
Garcia noted that the law was approved within the 120-day period prohibited under election rules, making compliance impossible.
“Una, legally sapagkat hindi na ito magco-comply o susunod sa instructions ng Supreme Court na pupwedeng magsagawa ang Comelec ng Bangsamoro elections kung hindi ito nasa loob ng 120 days bago ang elections,” Garcia said.
“Operationally, hindi na namin kaya ang isang buwan at dalawang linggo para isagawa ang halalan..Therefore, postponed ang halalan sa March 30 at ito ay maghihintay kami ng isang batas mula sa Kongreso na magfifix ng bagong date kung kailan magsasagawa ng halalan,” he added.
COMELEC has asked Congress to pass legislation setting a new date, with Garcia suggesting May or September 2026 as possible options to avoid overlap with the 2028 presidential elections.
“Sana hindi 2027 ang Bangsamoro parliamentary elections at sana ‘wag na 2028 na kasbay ng national and local elections para makapagfocus ang mga kababayan natin sa paghahalalal ng presidente at vice-president,” he said.
Following the deferment, Garcia confirmed that the election period and its prohibitions, including the gun ban, are lifted.
“Ginawa na natin lahat nang nararapat kung kaya lang may mga factors na di kayang kontrolin ng Comelec. Ngayon, naghihintay kami ng batas kung kailan ang pagse-set ng Congress ng [araw ng eleksyon],” he added.