ZAMBOANGA CITY — The 2025 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections will proceed as planned unless Congress passes a law to postpone and set another date for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) polls.

Bangsamoro spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Mohd Asnin Pendatun on Friday stressed that they are already working on the framework under the impression that the first parliamentary poll will continue in 2025.

Pendatun’s clarification comes after the recent Supreme Court (SC) ruling that excludes the province of Sulu from the BARMM.

He also addressed questions on the status of the current Members of Parliament (MPs) from Sulu, following the SC’s decision to exclude the province from the region.

“President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the appointing authority of the BTA Parliament, is the only one who can decide as to the status of the MPs. So far, there is no document relating to their status,” said Pendatun.

He added that the activities for the May 2025 polls will continue.

“All of our preparations since the beginning are gearing towards that,” Pendatun said.

Last Tuesday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) rescheduled the filing of certificates of candidacy (CoC) for the BARMM Parliamentary elections to 4 to 9 November 2024 following the Supreme Court ruling that Sulu is no longer part of BARMM.

For the BARMM polls, 80 seats will be available in the Parliament, comprised of 40 party representatives, 32 district representatives, and eight sectoral representatives.

Comelec chairperson George Garcia said that the filing of CoC for local offices in the Bangsamoro region will proceed as planned on 1 to 8 October 2024.

The Bangsamoro Government, through its Bangsamoro Information Office, spearheads the ongoing Halalang Bangsamoro campaign in disseminating information about the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, the governing law for the upcoming polls next year.

This campaign is in partnership with the Comelec and various civil society organizations to prioritize voter education and awareness and ensure a well-informed electorate for the 2025 parliamentary elections.