The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) clarified that there will be no voter registration for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Elections 2026 in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
According to COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia, the commission is still waiting for legislation from the Bangsamoro government regarding the upcoming BARMM Parliamentary Elections in 2026, prompting the temporary suspension of voter registration in the region.
“Kapag po kasi nagtuloy tayo baka po akalain ng mga taga Bangsamoro na yung pagpaparehistro nila ay automatically makakaboto sila sa parliamentary elections. Para po maiwasan ang kalituhan, magkakaroon sila ng registration pagdating ng buwan ng Mayo sa susunod na taon,” Garcia explained in an ambush interview during the nationwide voter registration kickoff held on October 20 at Luneta.
Garcia further clarified that residents of BARMM who have registered in Metro Manila under the Register Anywhere Program (RAP) will still have their applications received but not yet approved.
Their records, he said, will be forwarded to the concerned local COMELEC office in BARMM for proper verification once registration for the parliamentary elections officially begins.