BTA Speaker lauds House nod on Bangsamoro poll date
KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 14 March) – The leader of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) hailed the House of Representatives for setting the date of the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Mohammad Yacob, speaker of the BTA or the Bangsamoro Parliament, said the passage of House Bill 8220, which sets the date of the historic regional elections on September 14, reflects the lower chamber’s continued support to the peace process and the democratic aspirations of the Bangsamoro people.
“This legislation affirms the shared vision of both the national and regional governments to consolidate peace, uphold the rule of law, and empower its people to participate meaningfully in shaping their government,” he said in a statement obtained on Saturday.
Yacob said the BTA, the interim body tasked to govern the BARMM, is committed to ensuring that the September 14 elections is peaceful, credible and inclusive.
“This historic exercise of the Bangsamoro people’s right to choose their leaders will reflect their collective will and honor the enduring gains of the peace process,” he added.
Last Tuesday, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading HB 8220, which provides the date of the first regular elections for the Bangsamoro government on the second Monday of September 2026 or September 14, 2026.
The elected officials shall assume office noon of October 30, 2026 until noon of June 30, 2031, the bill said.
For the purpose of synchronizing the BARMM parliamentary elections with the national and local elections, the regular elections for the Bangsamoro government shall be held on the second Monday of May 2031 and every three years thereafter. Beginning 2031, the elected officials shall assume office at noon of June 30 following their election, HB 8220 stated.
The principal author of HB 8220 is Lanao del Sur (1st District) Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.
Similar provisions were approved earlier this month by the Upper House through Senate Bill 1823, with Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri as the principal author.
Both Adiong and Zubiri are Mindanawons.
Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua separately thanked both chambers of Congress for passing similar versions involving the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.
Both chambers will still have to meet for a bicameral conference to deliberate on the final form of the bill that will officially set the date of the BARMM elections.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will then have to sign the measure for its enactment into law.
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 but did not push through because of the Supreme Court ruling declaring two previous districting laws – Bangsamoro Autonomy Acts 58 and 77 — unconstitutional.
Republic Act 11054 or the Organic Law for the BARMM, mandates voters to elect 80 Members of Parliament, 40 of them political party representatives, eight sectoral representatives and 32 single parliamentary district representatives. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
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