SC told to act on BARMM rules ahead of COC filing
MANILA, Philippines — A manifestation was filed before the Supreme Court, warning that redistricting and political party rules ahead of the first regular parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) may affect voter representation and participation in the polls.
Petitioners Sultan Alim Saad Amate and Maulana Mamutuk filed the manifestation amid a pending petition before the High Court, challenging Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 86 and Section 17 of BAA No. 88.
BAA is a law that apportions parliamentary district representative seats for the first regular elections in BARMM, while Section 17 of BAA No. 88 refers to the election of representatives via direct plurality.
READ: BARMM group urges Comelec to settle party issues before COC filing
In their manifestation, the petitioners reiterated that BAA No. 86 may replicate defects previously flagged by the SC when it struck down an earlier measure and ordered corrections by October 31, 2025.
“That deadline was also missed. BAA 86 was passed late, and now stands questioned as another gerrymandered measure repeating the same defects,” the petitioners said in a statement.
They then warned that distorted districts distort representation, also pointing out that voters across BARMM, particularly in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur may have their political voice diluted before a single ballot is cast.
Meanwhile, the petitioners also challenged the provision requiring already registered political parties to register again, arguing that it could operate like a form of exclusion.
“What the Constitution promises in writing, the calendar must deliver in fact,” Amate said in a statement.
“The first BARMM election cannot be governed by rules written for the benefit of those who wrote them,” Mamutuk added.
The petitioners then called on Comelec to resolve all pending BARMM party matters with dispatch, transparency, and equal treatment before the COC filing closes on May 7.
“The first BARMM parliamentary election must not begin under a cloud of constitutional doubt, selective exclusion, and public disbelief,” the petitioners said. /cb
