18,180 posts up for grabs in May 2022 elections

MANILA, Philippines — A total 18,180 elective positions will be contested in the May 9, 2022, elections, including 80 seats in the Bangsamoro Parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The national positions are for president, vice president, 12 senators and 63 party list representatives.

The local positions, the Comelec said were 253 district representatives, 81 governors, 81 vice governors, 782 provincial board members, 146 city mayors, 146 city vice mayors, 1,650 city councilors, 1,488 municipal mayors, 1,488 municipal vice mayors and 11,908 municipal councilors.

For the BARMM parliamentary elections, the Comelec said 40 seats for party representatives, 32 district seats, and eight reserved seats and sectoral representatives would be contested.

“The allocation of elective positions for the BARMM parliamentary elections cannot yet be determined at this point due to the unavailability of the Bangsamoro Election Code, apportionment of the BARMM into parliamentary districts, manner of election of the reserved and electoral seats, and the treatment of the 63 barangays in North Cotabato for purpose of the election,” Comelec said in a resolution dated Aug. 11.

There are now bills pending in Congress to postpone the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections and extend the term of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority until 2025.

In February, the poll body promulgated Resolution No. 10695 specifying the calendar of activities for elections.

Under the calendar, registered political parties only have up to Aug. 16 to update the information they had previously submitted to the poll body.