The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) on Monday, December 22, announced the suspension of certificates of candidacy (COC) filing for the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections in 2026.
In a statement, COMELEC said the move was based on Resolution No. 11183 promulgated Monday.
The COC filing period was originally scheduled from January 5 to 9, 2026, but the poll body noted that the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) has yet to pass a redistricting law necessary for election preparations.
“The Supreme Court had directed the [Bangsamoro Transition Authority] to determine parliamentary districts by 30 October 2025,” the statement read.
“The COMELEC noted that no such districting has yet been enacted. Consequently, the Commission en banc deemed it proper to suspend the COC filing period to ensure the election process aligns with the finalized districts,” it added.
COMELEC said it would set a new filing period “once the BTA enacts the necessary parliamentary districting.”
Earlier this month, the poll body expressed concern as the BTA had yet to pass the required measure.
Following the Supreme Court’s October 13 decision to postpone the region’s parliamentary elections, the BTA must enact a law distributing the seven vacant parliamentary seats originally apportioned to Sulu.
The Supreme Court has instructed that elections in the region must occur “not later than March 31, 2026,” warning that any alterations would violate the law, according to Garcia.