ISABELA CITY, Basilan Province — Five provincial governors in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao are urging the members of the Parliament to consider the basic opinion of the people of the region and to reconsider some sensitive provisions in the bill before  passing  the proposed Bangsamoro Electoral Code.

The five BARMM provincial governors jointly cautioned the Bangsamoro Transitional Authority to carefully observed at least five sensitive issues in the legislation of the proposed  BARMM  electoral code or BTA Bill 29.

The recommendations of Sulu Governor  Abdusakur, Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr., Maguindanao Governor Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu, Tawi-Tawi Governor Ysmael Sali and  Basilan Governor Hadjiman Hataman-Saliman were written in a position paper and  they submitted it to  members of BTA for their consideration and positive actions.

According to the five governors, the electoral code must provide rules for regional parliamentary elections that are fair, non-partisan and equitable to all and must not infringe on the national election rules on local and national elections.

They added that it must be legislated within the framework of the 1987 constitution, the Bangsamoro Organic Law and national election laws and must uphold the independence and powers of the Commission on Elections that has exclusive jurisdiction in the administration of election and resolution of electoral disputes in the country.

Tan, meantime, reminded the BTA members that "national laws prevail over regional laws, that is under the principle of subordinate legislation or hierarchy of law, regional laws cannot be inconsistent with national laws."

The BARMM provincial governors also asked BTA to reconsider the Bangsamoro Electoral Office provisions with powers far greater than the Comelec as a constitutional body.

Under BTA Bill 29, BEO enjoys not only administrative powers — which are the only powers allowed by the  BOL — but quasi-judicial, judicial and quasi-executive and quasi-legislative powers.

Tan said the powers of the BEO must be taken out from the Electoral Code as violative of the Constitution.