Comelec warned of ‘grave threat to democracy’ for halting BARMM poll preparations

A petition has been filed with the Supreme Court accusing the Commission on Elections (Comelec) of “weaponizing” a temporary restraining order (TRO) to delay the Bangsamoro elections, warning that the move poses a serious threat to democracy in the Philippines.

Maulana L. Mamutuk, chairman of Ranao Charitable Initiatives and petitioner against the recently enacted Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) 77, said on Monday that Comelec’s suspension of election preparations on 17 September effectively created a pretext to postpone the 13 October polls.

“By suspending preparations for the Bangsamoro elections on 17 September and only later manufacturing a legal alibi, Comelec has weaponized a Supreme Court TRO into an excuse to derail democracy,” Mamutuk said.

The poll body has maintained that holding the elections has become “legally and factually impossible.” Mamutuk countered, arguing that under the law, postponement requires force majeure, violence, terrorism, or destruction of election materials—conditions that he said were not present.

“What exists is a scenario of impossibility engineered by Comelec itself—an administrative failure disguised as an act of God,” he said.

Mamutuk also alleged that the suspension of preparations was part of a broader pattern of irregularities, citing the “rushed” passage of BAA 77, a post-facto memo invoking Section 5, and the “cynical invocation of impossibility.” He warned that such actions undermine the constitutional guarantee of free and fair elections.

“The danger is not only for BARMM. If Comelec can create impossibility after halting preparations, it sets a precedent where any election in the Philippines can be postponed at will,” Mamutuk said, adding that such practices erode public trust and contradict the commission’s mandate.

He further claimed that Comelec’s actions constituted a “culpable violation of the Constitution” and provided grounds for impeachment.

“The Bangsamoro people, and the nation as a whole, deserve elections—not engineered excuses,” Mamutuk said.

The poll body has yet to respond to the accusations.