Commission on Elections Chair George Garcia
Photo from Comelec
MANILA, Philippines — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia said he supports the proposed extension of the deadline for the accreditation of sectoral organizations wanting to participate in the first-ever Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections next year.
“Yes, I am supportive of the extension. I wrote [to] the En Banc about this and asked for a June 30 deadline,” Garcia replied when asked by INQUIRER.net on Friday for a comment on the call of several groups to extend the June 7 deadline.
Under Comelec Resolution No. 10987, the registration and accreditation period for sectoral groups was only set from May 15 to June 7.
To participate in the election, they must submit a certification from the appropriate ministry, regional offices, or agencies of the Bangsamoro government.
In a separate statement released the same day, the BARMM Grand Coalition (BGC) said that the group Interactive and Sincere Advocates of Peace and Unity Settlers’ Organization (ISAPUSO) is backing its call to extend the deadline to give sectoral organizations more time to comply with accreditation requirements.
BGC had also previously released a statement pushing for the extension.
READ: Comelec asked to extend orgs’ registration period for BARMM 2025 polls
“Nais sana naming humiling ng mas mahabang panahon sa Comelec para ma-comply ang requirements para sa kinakailangang sertipikasyon mula sa BARMM government,” said ISAPUSO Settler leader Arnold Padayhag, as quoted in the statement.
(We would like to request a longer period from Comelec to comply with the requirements for the necessary certification from the BARMM government. )
“Sadyang napakaikli ng period na inilaan para sa pagpaparehistro ng mga sectoral organizations,” he added.
(The period allotted for registering sectoral organizations is very short.)
Bong Mohammad, leader of the Confederation of the Royal Sultanate of Mindanao, also echoed Padayhag’s sentiments.
“The IRR of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code was just released recently, and I am almost certain that many sectoral organizations have not secured any certification,” Mohammad said.
Moreover, Aleem Abdulatiff, leader of the Ulama League of the Philippines, and Rolly Caballes of the Wao settlers’ communities also relayed the same request to Comelec.
“We hope the Comelec could extend the deadline. The more sectoral groups joining the BARMM elections in 2025, the better. This is proof that democracy is vibrant in our region that has been ravaged by war for decades,” Abdulatiff said.
READ: Comelec gearing up for peaceful, orderly BARMM plebiscite
“Para sa aming organisasyon na kumakatawan sa mga settlers, napakahalaga na magkaroon kami ng boses sa parliyamento. Nasa minorya kami ng populasyon, pero sana ay magkaroon kami ng pagkakataon sa representasyon sa pamahalaan ng BARMM,” said Caballes.
(For our organization, which represents the settlers, having a voice in the parliament is very important. We are a minority, but we hope to have an opportunity for representation in the BARMM government.)
Youth leader Aljiber Ismael of Sulu, for his part, said the extension would help prevent the massive disenfranchisement of the electorate in BARMM.
Hja. Nuriya K. Jamaldin from the women’s sector also noted that many BARMM sectors need representation, which can be addressed by encouraging more groups to participate in the 2025 parliamentary elections.