The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is urging Congress to finalize the law that will set the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections (BPE) on September 14, ideally before the end of March.
COMELEC chair George Erwin Garcia said the commission is awaiting the transmission of the measure from both the Senate and House of Representatives to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for signing.
“Hopefully, before the end of March, it will become a law. That’s when we will start requiring COC (certificate of candidacy) filings from district representatives and accredited political parties and sectoral organizations,” Garcia explained in a Monday interview.
He noted that if the law is passed only by April, delays in publication and effectivity would push back candidacy filings and other election-related activities.
“When it becomes April, even if it is passed, there will still be a publication. Until it is effective, we cannot require COC filings immediately in the areas. We need a law. If there is a push back, all other activities related to election preparation will be pushed back,” Garcia said.
Garcia emphasized that automated elections require extensive preparation, and with only five months left before September 14, the timeline is tight.
“The date should be fixed because we follow a timetable and timeline that must be followed. We are only given five months before September 14. If it is automated, there will be a lot of preparation,” he added.
He stressed the urgency of passing the measure:
“We really need a law. As long as there is no law, we have no date to talk about. Certified as urgent by the President and that’s why Congress rushed it. We see the desire to pass it immediately.”