MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has started preparations for the inaugural Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections, set for Sept. 14.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia expressed gratitude to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Congress for swiftly enacting the law that fixed the election date.

“All preparations by Comelec will begin once we fixed the date,” Garcia said, noting that the poll body is drafting the Implementing Rules and Regulations and the calendar of activities.

The filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC) for all 32 districts in Bangsamoro is expected to start after Holy Week, while the accreditation of regional political parties and sectoral organizations will run from April to May.

“At all costs, we must finish the accreditation process because we need to have a list before the month of June begins,” Garcia added.

Comelec plans to finalize precincts in June and begin printing ballots for an estimated 3.4 to 3.5 million voters in July.