Comelec suspends BARMM filing of candidacy

MANILA, Philippines — In the absence of a new districting law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or BARMM, the Commission on Elections has canceled the scheduled filing of certificates of candidacy for the parliamentary polls, the Comelec announced yesterday.

The period for the filing of certificates was initially set for Jan. 5 to 9 next year.

But in a resolution, the Comelec said activities related to the parliamentary elections cannot push through due to the continued failure of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to set the new parliamentary districts in BARMM.

The Supreme Court earlier directed the BTA to pass a new districting law by Oct. 30 to give the Comelec enough time to prepare for and hold a parliamentary election before March 31, 2026.