MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) expressed hope that a measure resetting the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections to September will be signed into law before the end of March to allow sufficient time for preparations.

Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia said the enactment of the law is crucial for the poll body to begin key processes, including the filing of certificates of candidacy.

“Sana bago matapos ang buwan ng Marso ito ay maging ganap na batas na sapagkat doon lang magsisimula ang Comelec para sa pag-require ng filing ng kandidatura ng mga tatakbo,” Garcia told reporters.

(We’re hoping it will be passed before the end of March, so Comelec can begin the filing of certificates of candidacy.)

Garcia noted that both chambers of Congress have already approved their respective versions of the bill, which proposes to move the inaugural parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro region to September 14, 2026. He added that a bicameral conference committee has been convened to reconcile differing provisions.

“Kailangan ng batas. Hanggat walang batas, wala tayong petsa kung kailan gaganapin ang halalan. Pero ito ay certified as urgent ng Pangulo kaya minadali ng Kongreso,” he said.

(We need a law. Without it, there is no election date. The President certified the measure as urgent, which is why Congress expedited its passage.)

Despite the pending legislation, Garcia said election preparations are continuing, although the poll body may require additional funds due to a projected increase in the number of voters in the Bangsamoro region.

“May posibilidad na bago mag-March 30 umabot tayo ng dagdag na 150,000 na botante. Dagdag na botante, dagdag na presinto, ballot boxes, at makina,” he said.

(There could be an additional 150,000 voters before the end of March. More voters mean additional precincts, ballot boxes, and voting machines.)

Latest data from the Comelec showed that 86,502 individuals have applied to register for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) and the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections in the region as of March 21.

The Bangsamoro parliamentary polls have already been postponed multiple times. In January, the Comelec deferred the elections for the fourth time, citing legal and operational challenges stemming from delays in the passage of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) redistricting law.

In October 2025, the Supreme Court of the Philippines ordered the postponement of the polls originally set for October 13 after declaring Bangsamoro Autonomy Acts 58 and 77 unconstitutional.

The high court also directed the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to pass a new redistricting law and instructed the Comelec to proceed with preparations and conduct the الانتخابات no later than March 31, 2026.