THE House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on second reading House Bill (HB) No. 8220 resetting the first regular parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to the second Monday of September this year, with the chamber now awaiting a certification of urgency from Malacañang to speed up final passage and keep the electoral timetable on track.
Adopted via voice vote, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, sponsor and principal author of House Bill (HB) No. 8220 and one of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) measure, said the bill is a necessary legal fix to protect the integrity of the peace process and to ensure that the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament is seated on firm constitutional footing.
In his sponsorship speech on the floor, Adiong underscored the faith and peace foundations that have long shaped the Bangsamoro transition, linking the bill’s urgency to the region’s right to democratic self-governance and to a political settlement that can endure beyond personalities and transition arrangements.
Adiong pointed to the legal disruption created by Supreme Court rulings on the Bangsamoro parliamentary redistricting framework after the Court’s decision excluding Sulu from BARMM, a development he said created a gap that Congress must address to secure the legality and legitimacy of the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament.
“However, several Supreme Court rulings, including the declaration of unconstitutionality of the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act on parliamentary redistricting following Sulu’s exclusion from the BARMM, have altered the legal framework for these elections,” Adiong explained.
“As a result, a legislative gap now exists that must be addressed to ensure the legality and legitimacy of the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament,” he added.
HB No. 8220 addresses that gap by setting the date of the first regular parliamentary elections in BARMM on the second Monday of September 2026, and every three years thereafter, and by directing the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to promulgate the rules and regulations for the conduct of the elections and enforce them pursuant to national laws, the Bangsamoro Organic Law and the Bangsamoro Electoral Code.
It also provides for a holdover arrangement during the extended transition period, allowing the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to continue as interim government until successors are 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 other causes.
To preserve continuity and readiness, the bill provides that the automated election system used in the May 12, 2025 national and local elections shall be employed for the first BARMM parliamentary election, including the machines, devices and equipment used, as well as the suppliers and providers involved in operation and maintenance.
Comelec is given authority to explore other modes of conducting the election if an automated system is no longer practicable given surrounding circumstances.
The Senate has already approved on final reading its version of the measure.
Adiong said they will await the certification of urgency that will be issued by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to allow the Lower House to approve the bill on final reading tomorrow.
He added that the bill is crafted to protect the peace process by ensuring that the electoral milestone at the heart of the transition is built on a clear legal foundation, with Comelec empowered to act early and decisively to deliver a credible and orderly vote.
“This measure upholds constitutional supremacy and preserves the integrity of the peace process, and ensures that the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament is established on clear legal ground and unquestioned democratic legitimacy,” Adiong said.
