Marcos: BARMM poll deferment under review

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos yesterday said a review on the possible postponement of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections is ongoing amid the recent decision of the Supreme Court (SC) to exclude Sulu from BARMM.

“We are still studying it. Some local officials are saying, because of the Supreme Court decision separating Sulu from BARMM, there are many implications in terms of the changes that have to be made,” Marcos said in a chance interview during his visit in Pangasinan.

In September, the SC upheld the constitutionality of Republic Act 11054, or the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which created the BARMM. However, it ruled that Sulu is not part of BARMM due to the province’s rejection of the law’s ratification. It added that the decision partially granting Sulu’s petition against inclusion is immediately executory.

Marcos said the necessary changes might not be ready before the midterm elections in May next year.

“Many of these (need changes), including seven districts under BARMM, which were part of Sulu… they have no congressmen now, they have no province now. There are also municipalities with no district and no province, but won in the plebiscite (and) are included in the BARMM,” Marcos said.

The law, enacted in 2018, required ratification by plebiscite, with the majority of the former ARMM areas voting in favor. While most areas ratified the law in January and February 2019 plebiscites, Sulu voted against it.

“We need to create a new province. Number 2, since Sulu was removed, there is a need to amend the law on BARMM. The transition authority needs to work on the new system, including the new administrative code, the new local government code and new electoral code,” Marcos said.

“We did not see the many unintended consequences of the decision of the Supreme Court. We need to work on these… It is better to implement the necessary amendments rather than fast-tracking them but will create chaos in the end,” he added.

Marcos did not give a specific timeline for the review.