P2.5 B needed to reset BARMM polls - Comelec

Holding parliamentary elections for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) separately from the midterm polls in May will require P2.5 billion in additional funding, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said yesterday.

- By MAYEN JAYMALIN

“And because it’s separate elections, it will be like special elections requiring separate logistics, teachers and ballots,” Garcia said. “We’ll need P2.5 billion to launch an election for parliament for the Bangsamoro.”

The first-ever BARMM parliamentary election was supposed to be held simultaneously with the 2025 midterm elections in May.

Garcia said that a resetting of the BARMM polls to October is almost certain, with President Marcos having already certified as urgent a proposed measure postponing the exercise.

Garcia said only after the measure has been enacted will the Comelec decide if there will be a need for another filing of candidacy for the BARMM polls.

Furthermore, he said that if the polls were reset, the Bangsamoro Parliament has to come out with a law to distribute the seven Sulu parliamentary seats to other provinces. The Supreme Court previously ruled that Sulu is not part of BARMM.