The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday stressed the importance of the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections as it kicks off the certificates of candidacy (COC) filing.

Aspirants have until 9 November to file their COCs and declarations of intent to participate in the parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

“Napakaimportante po ang Bangsamoro Parliamentary election. Sapagkat ang isang halalan ay ginagarantiya mismo ng peace process natin. (The Bangsamoro Parliamentary election is very important. Because an election guarantees our peace process),” Comelec Chairperson George Garcia told reporters in Cotabato City.

“Yung halalan na yan ay ang commitment ng sambayanan sa mga kapatid nating Moro, na magkakaroon ng maayos, matiwasay na halalan dito sa Bangsamoro (The election is the public’s commitment to our Moro brothers and sisters, that we will have a peaceful election in the Bangsamoro),” Garcia added.

The COC filing continued Monday despite Senate President Francis Escudero’s announcement that he would push to postpone the 2025 parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro region.

“Kaya tayo pumunta rito sapagkat nabalitaan din natin yung maaaring pagpa-file ng panukalang batas ng pagpo-postpone ng Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election, subalit gusto nating ipakita na hindi naman nagpapaapekto ang Comelec sa mga maaaring ma-file na ganyan, sapagkat again, hangga't walang batas, nandoon ang paghahanda ng Comelec (That's why we came here because we also heard about the possible filing of a bill to postpone the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election, but we want to show that the Comelec does not affect those that may be filed like that, because again, as long as there is no law, there is the preparation of the Comelec),” Garcia said.

“Doon sa ga may agam-agam, nagdadalawang-isip na mga kababayan natin, nandito mismo ang inyong Komisyon (For those who have doubts or second thoughts, the Commission is here) and we are willing and able, and we will be accepting all your COCs beginning today up to the 9th of November,” he added.

Garcia’s statement came in response to reports quoting Escudero, who said the Senate would discuss rescheduling the BARMM first parliamentary elections from 2025 to 2028, following a recent Supreme Court (SC) ruling excluding Sulu from the Muslim-dominated region.

The first BARMM parliamentary elections are set for 12 May next year, simultaneous with the national and local midterm elections.

The members of the regional parliament will then choose BARMM’s chief minister.

There are seven established parliamentary districts in the BARMM parliament, namely Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Cotabato City, the Bangsamoro special geographic area in Cotabato province.

With Sulu’s exclusion based on the SC ruling, it is no longer part of the composition.

The move followed the 2023 approval of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, which reserves 40 seats in the BARMM parliament to political parties, eight to sectoral representatives, and 32 to the newly created districts.

Starting next year, members of parliament will be elected every three years.