Philippines’ Election Commission mulls manual polls in Muslim region
The Philippines Commission on Elections (Comelec) has said it may be forced to hold manual polls in the Bangsamoro
MANILA, Philippines (MNTV) – The Philippines Commission on Elections (Comelec) has said it may be forced to hold manual polls in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) if the parliament fails to pass its redistricting law by November 30, reports Business Mirror.
“Based on our study, if the law is passed beyond November 30, it may no longer be possible to hold elections by March 31. November 30 is already the absolute limit,” Comelec Chair George Erwin M. Garcia said in an interview.
“But of course, as long as there is a law, the Comelec will find a way. Even to the extent that if we need to conduct a manual election, why not,” he added. “But at this point, the election in the Bangsamoro will be automated. That [manual voting] is only the worst-case scenario.”
Garcia said the commission continues to prepare for the first parliamentary elections in the region but warned that delays in the passage of the redistricting law could again hamper preparations.
“Of course, we are also worried about that… The preparations for the elections might again be disrupted if the new law in BARMM is not passed,” he said.
The Comelec chief stressed that the poll body has the authority to act should the timeline be missed.
“There are ways the Comelec can find just to proceed with an election. Everything must be done to comply with the election date—either invoke a postponement of the election or resort to another system of election, such as a manual one,” he said.
Garcia said he recently spoke with interim Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, who told him that the proposed redistricting measures are still on second reading and must still be consolidated before passage.
Garcia said the Comelec remains hopeful that the Bangsamoro parliament can still meet the deadline. “We believe in the capability of the Bangsamoro parliament. . . . the Parliament is aware that time is of the essence,” he said.
The Supreme Court has voided the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Redistricting Act of 2025 and the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Districts Act of 2024, saying both violated the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
With no valid enabling law, the Comelec had no legal basis to push through with the parliamentary elections this year.
Instead, the Court directed the Comelec to continue with its preparations and conduct the BARMM parliamentary elections not later than March 31, 2026.
Have Your Say!
Have you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@soundvision.com.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a Muslim Network TV’s representative. You can also get in touch in the following ways:
Tweet: @MuslimNetworkTV
We must take charge of our narrative. Research indicates that 92% of their Muslim coverage is negative. Help us change that.
