November 23, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — A poll watchdog is urging the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to immediately pass a new districting law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to prevent another delay in the holding of the first-ever BARMM parliamentary election.
The Legal Network for Truthful Elections or LENTE said the BTA must pass the law before the Nov. 30 deadline set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), otherwise the BARMM elections may not push through in March 2026.
The poll watchdog said the Bangsamoro people have the right to timely, genuine and periodic elections.
“The resulting delay or deviation from this obligation threatens the citizens’ constitutional rights, the integrity of the Bangsamoro democratic transition and the peace process,” LENTE said.
With the BTA having only two session days left before the Nov. 30 deadline, any failure by the BARMM interim government to enact a new districting law will endanger the March 2026 elections and undermine public trust in the process, the watchdog said.
The BTA is the legal interim governing body of the BARMM until new officals are elected or appointed.
LENTE said further delays in the holding of the BARMM parliamentary election is not acceptable.
“The Comelec emphasized that the BTA must enact a new districting law on or before Nov. 30 to allow the poll body more time to prepare for the parliamentary election,” the watchdog said.
LENTE said the BTA must fulfill its legislative mandate in accordance with the Constitution, the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which created the BARMM, and the Supreme Court (SC) order.
It said any delay in the passage of a valid districting law extends the period of absence of elected representations in the Bangsamoro Parliament.
“This will undermine both the regional autonomy and the constitutional guarantee of suffrage for the Bangsamoro people, and will stall delivery of needed government services,” LENTE said.
The group said the BARMM elections should not suffer another postponement and the Bangsamoro people’s must not be denied of their rights to choose their representatives and to exercise the autonomy they have long been fighting for.
Earlier, the SC directed the BTA to pass a new BARMM districting law by Oct. 30, and the Comelec to proceed with the poll preparations and conduct the parliamentary election not later than March 31.
The Comelec on Thursday said that the holding of the first BARMM parliamentary election remained uncertain as the BTA has yet to pass the new districting law.