On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted 247 in favor, with no one against and two not voting, to approve a measure that sets the date for the first regular parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) for September 2026. This decision helps fill a legal gap caused by court rulings and ensures the region’s transition to an elected Parliament stays on track.
Upon the guidance of Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III, House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos led the approval of House Bill (HB) No. 8220, the proposed measure providing for the date of the first regular parliamentary elections in BARMM.
Marcos said the bill seeks to keep the peace process anchored on a clear democratic mandate while giving election authorities the legal basis to begin preparations early.
Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, the main sponsor and author of the measure, said the bill is designed to ensure that the very first regular BARMM parliamentary elections can take place on the second Monday of September, with both chambers now positioned to align the final version once the Senate completes its own action.
“This bill protects the integrity of the transition by putting the first parliamentary elections on firm legal ground, so the people of Bangsamoro can finally choose their leaders through the ballot,” Adiong, House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms chairman, said.
“This bill allows that the first BARMM elections will take place in September of this year, and with the Senate’s approval, we are ready for the bicam so we can deliver a clear and credible path to the people of the region,” Adiong said.
HB 8220 changes Section 13, Article XVI of Republic Act No. 11054, the Bangsamoro Organic Law, to schedule the first regular election for the Bangsamoro Government on the second Monday of September 2026, and it also sets dates for future elections to keep them in line with the national election calendar.
For purposes of synchronization, the measure provides that the regular elections for the Bangsamoro Government shall be held on the second Monday of May 2031 and every three years thereafter, with officials in later cycles assuming office at noon of the 30th day of June following their election, a timeline meant to stabilize governance and avoid repeated resets that weaken public confidence.
The bill directs the Commission on Elections, through the Bangsamoro Electoral Office, to promulgate the rules and regulations for the conduct of the elections, enforce them and administer the polls pursuant to national law, the Organic Law and the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, underscoring that the credibility of the first vote will rest as much on preparation as it will on the election day itself.
It also provides a holdover mechanism during the extension of the transition period, allowing the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to continue as interim government in BARMM until their successors have been elected and qualified, while clarifying that interim members may be replaced by the President or have their tenure shortened by election to another office or by other causes.
To support operational readiness, the measure provides that the automated election system used in the May 12, 2025 national and local elections shall likewise be used for the first BARMM parliamentary election, including the machines, devices and equipment, as well as the suppliers and providers involved in their operation and maintenance, to ensure consistency, efficiency and integrity in the process.
At the same time, the bill gives Comelec the flexibility to explore other modes of conducting the election, such as manual voting, if the commission determines ahead of the BARMM parliamentary elections that automation is no longer practicable based on surrounding circumstances. This option is meant to keep the elections doable even under shifting conditions.
HB 8220 was introduced by Reps. Adiong, Yasser Alonto Balindong, Francisco “Lalo” Matugas, Maximo Dalog Jr., Ma. Victoria Co-Pilar, Ann Matibag, Munir Arbison, Charisse Anne Hernandez, Miro Quimbo, Esmael Mangudadatu, Ferdinand Hernandez, Alfredo Garbin Jr., Yevgeny Vicente Emano, Mikaela Angela Suansing, Ernesto Dionisio Jr., Gil “KabarangayJr” Acosta, Jose “Bong” Teves Jr., Sergio Dagooc, Rommel Rico Angara, Bella Vanessa Suansing, JC Rahman Nava, MD, Romeo Momo Sr., Joseph Tan, Loreto Amante, Dale Corvera, Augustina Dominique “Ditse Tina” Pancho, Johanne Monich Bautista, Ma. Isabel Sagarbarria, Rodolfo “Ompong” Ordanes, Brian Poe, Reynante Arrogancia, Nicanor Briones, Dante Garcia, Ma. Cristina Talavera Lopez, Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay, Katrina Reiko Chua-Tai, Ma. Nina Francesca Lacson, Nathaniel Oducado, Irene Labadlabad, Arthur Yap, Niko Raul Daza, Jose Manuel Tadeo “Chel” Diokno, Paolo Henry Marcoleta, Franz Vincent Legazpi, and Terry Ridon.
On candidacies, the measure provides for a new period for the filing of certificates of candidacy for parliamentary district representatives and the list of nominees, and it requires that certificates filed from Nov. 4 to 9, 2024 be refiled within the new period, while limiting substitution of candidates or nominees to cases of death or disqualification under Comelec rules.
It also affirms voter eligibility by stating that all qualified voters registered in the permanent list in BARMM precincts based on the latest Election Registration Board hearing are entitled to vote in the BARMM parliamentary election, and it provides that funding necessary for implementation shall be charged against available appropriations of Comelec, with BARMM allowed to provide additional funding chargeable against its local funds, subject to budgeting, accounting and auditing rules.
