List of regional parties for BARMM polls released

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) released the names and nominees of Regional Parliament Political Party (RPPP) groups that will join the May 2025 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections (BPE).

In Resolution No. 11090, dated 18 December and obtained by DAILY TRIBUNE on Friday, the seven-member Commission en banc ordered the poll body's Education and Information Department to publish the names of seven organizations, together with their respective 40 nominees, in two newspapers.

The groups on the list are Bangsamoro Party (BAPA), Bangsamoro People’s Democratic Party (Raayat Democratic Party), BARMM Grand Coalition (BGC), Mahardika Party (Mahardika), Moro Ako Party (Moro Ako), Progresibong Bangsamoro Party (Pro Bangsamoro Party), and United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP).

The poll body also included in the resolution the percentage of male and female candidates per organization, as required under the Bangsamoro Electoral Code.

For BAPA, the total number of male candidates is 27 (67.50 percent), while 13 are female (32.50 percent); Raayat Democratic Party has 28 males (70 percent) and 12 females (30 percent); BGC has 26 males (65 percent) and 14 females (35 percent); Mahardika Party has 27 males (67.50 percent) and 13 females (32.50 percent); Moro Ako Party has 15 males (37.50 percent) and 25 females (62.50 percent); Progresibong Bangsamoro Party has 28 males (70 percent) and 12 females (30 percent); and UBJP has 28 males (70 percent) and 12 females (30 percent).

“Section 10, Article V of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code provides that at least 30 percent of the 40 nominees of a party or coalition shall be party or coalition members who are women,” the resolution read.

The House of Representatives on Dec. 17 approved on the third and final reading a measure postponing the first parliamentary elections in the BARMM to May 2026.

Voting 198-4 with no abstentions, the chamber approved House Bill 11144, which proposes to move the BARMM elections from the original schedule of May 2025 to the second Monday of May 2026.