The House of Representatives committee has approved resetting the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections to the second Monday of September 2026 to avoid breaching term limits. Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia warned that synchronizing it with national polls could shorten the three-year term of parliament members, violating the Constitution and Bangsamoro Organic Law. The decision still requires full House and Senate approval before reaching President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
On February 3, 2026, before the House of Representatives committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, Garcia explained the risks of synchronizing the BARMM elections with the May 2026 national polls. “If the term will end earlier just to synchronize the elections, are we not therefore shortening the term?” he asked. Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and the Constitution, officials are entitled to three-year terms, and ending them early could prompt Supreme Court petitions leading to further delays, according to committee chairman Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur's 1st District.
Established in 2019, the BARMM has not held regional parliamentary elections since 2022 due to repeated postponements, including a 2025 Supreme Court ruling voiding laws on parliamentary districts and the 2024 exclusion of Sulu province. In January, the BARMM parliament passed a new districting law and amended the region's electoral law.
Benjamin Bacani, executive director of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance, noted that BARMM's parliamentary system differs from the presidential one, allowing elections at any time technically. Moreover, the Constitution lacks any explicit provision requiring post-1987 elections to be synchronized; this stems from Republic Act No. 7166 in 1991. Congress could enact a special law exempting BARMM, as long as the three-year term is preserved.
Operationally, Garcia suggested labeling the 2026 vote a “continuation” to reuse automated election systems and avoid new procurement that might take a year, saving around P2.5 billion in funds for ballots, transmission, and equipment. BARMM funds could supplement if needed. Election watchdogs told lawmakers that separate regional polls could lessen violence and allow focused security and administrative resources in the area.
