Bangsamoro districting law passed: 48 yes, 19 no, 4 abstentions

COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 13 January) — The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) finally passed a new districting law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) at 12:33 a.m. on Tuesday, after a 10-hour deliberation, paving the way for Congress to set a date for the twice-postponed 1^st Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections. 

“The ayes have it,” BTA Secretary-General Raby Angkal said at 10:54 p.m. referring to the passage on second reading of Parliamentary Bill 415 as amended, during the special session held on Monday. 

The session was suspended shortly thereafter, for secretariat to produce a clean copy of the amended bill, in preparation for its passage on third reading that same evening. Session resumed at 11:25 pm and ended with nominal voting that lasted until 12:33 a.m. Tuesday with 48 voting yes, 19 no and four abstentions. 

^{The Bangsamoro Transition Authority finally passed a new districting law during its special session on Monday, 12 January 2026 in s 10-hour deliberation that started at 2:39 pm Monday and ended at 12:34 a.m. on Tuesday. The voting results: 48 yes, 19 no, four abstentions. MindaNews photo by CAROLYN O. ARGUILLAS}

“The yes have it,” said Angkal at 12:33 a.m. The session that started at 2:39 p.m. on Monday adjourned at 12:34 a.m. on Tuesday. 

Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, who requested Speaker Mohammad Yacob to convene a special session, had certified the bill as urgent on December 17. But no quorum was reached on December 18. 

The BTA is supposed to be composed of 80 Members of Parliament. Only 79 were appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. but the current membership is only 77 as former Chief Minister AHod “Murad” Ebrahim did not accept the appointment and Speaker Pangalian Balindong passed away in October. 

Macacua had called for a special session on December 29 to 31 but this did not happen. 

The first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections should have been held on May 9, 2022 but this was reset to May 12, 2025 and again reset to October 13, 2025. 

The October polls did not push through as the Supreme Court on September 30, declared the two districting laws – Bangsamoro Autonomy Act 58 and 77 – unconstitutional. 

Voters in the BARMM will elect 80 Members of Parliament: 40 party representatives, 32 single district representatives, and eight sectoral representatives. 

The districting law serves as the basis for the election of the single district representatives. 

Voters will cast only two votes during the elections: one for the political party and one for district representatives. 

For the 1^st Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections, voting for the eight sectoral representatives — two from Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples, two from settler communities, and one each for women, youth, Ulama, and traditional leaders — will be done earlier, during an assembly called by accredited and registered  sectoral organizations through their respective ministries. 

But in the 2028 Parliamentary elections, the sectoral representatives will be elected by the registered voters who identify to be part of their sectors.

The BARMM comprises the provinces of Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur and Lanao del Sur, and the cities of Marawi, Lamitan and Cotabato, and the Special Geographic Area (SGA).

The Supreme Court in its September 30 ruling urged the BTA to pass a districting law by October 30, 2025 “that faithfully complies with constitutional and national law requirements.” It also urged Congress to “promptly enact a law that would reschedule the BARMM Parliamentary Elections … as much as practicable, not later than March 31, 2026 to ensure adequate preparations for the latter.” (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)