Comelec Halts Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections Amid Supreme Court TRO on Redistricting

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has announced the suspension of activities related to the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). This move follows a temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court addressing the region's redistricting plans.

In a resolution dated September 17, Comelec stated that the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) 58, which originally established the distribution of parliamentary seats, has not been clearly reinstated. Meanwhile, BAA 77, the act under scrutiny by the Supreme Court's TRO, sought to redistribute the seven seats initially allocated to Sulu province, which is no longer part of BARMM.

"All the districting provisions outlined in BAA 58 and BAA 77 have effectively been repealed," the election commission noted. Consequently, Comelec's prior resolution from August—stating that no redistricting measures would be enforced—now appears justifiable.

Due to the TRO, Comelec declared it lacks a clear legal mandate to conduct elections for the parliamentary district representatives within BARMM. The commission's resolution emphasized, "The Commission is thus without clear legal bases to organize or conduct elections for the district representative positions pending the Court's final resolution."

The legal uncertainty extends beyond district seats, affecting the sectoral and regional political party (RPP) representatives as well. There are a total of 73 parliamentary seats scheduled for election: 40 party-list seats, 25 district seats, and 8 sectoral seats.

Comelec highlighted that proceeding with the elections under the current circumstances may lead to issues such as malapportionment, unequal suffrage, and potential constitutional challenges. The resolution warned against conducting any elections for district, sectoral, or RPP positions until the legal questions are resolved.

The commission plans to engage with the Office of the Solicitor General to seek further guidance on the scope and implications of the Supreme Court's TRO.

This development adds complexity to the electoral process in the Bangsamoro region, which continues its efforts toward autonomous governance amid evolving legal and political challenges.