The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) confirmed on Saturday that the inaugural Bangsamoro parliamentary elections will take place on September 14, moving forward despite an active petition currently under review by the Supreme Court.
According to COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin Garcia, there is no valid legal ground to halt or delay the voting process.
He pointed out that the high court has not granted a temporary restraining order (TRO), nor has any new law been enacted to put off the polls.
“Sa kasalukuyan, wala tayong TRO mula sa Korte Suprema. Walang batas na nagpapaliban sa Bangsamoro [parliamentary election],” Garcia told reporters.
“Kaya ganoon kalakas ang aming pananalig. Tuloy na tuloy ang September 14 Bangsamoro parliamentary election,” he added.
The poll body chief emphasized that the commission is entirely dedicated to executing its pre-election logistics and remains aligned with its established schedule.
“Sinusunod namin lahat yung calendar of activities namin upang patunayan sa mga kababayan natin [na] kung ang Comelec lang ang pagbabasehan, wala kaming duda tungkol sa pagtutuloy ng halalan,” he said.
Garcia also highlighted that security preparations are on track, noting that both the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported a peaceful and orderly certificate of candidacy filing period from May 5 to 7.