Senate adjourns for Holy Week break

The Senate adjourned its session yesterday for the Holy Week break after ratifying a bill resetting elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The session will resume on May 4.

The Senate adjourned its session yesterday for the Holy Week break after ratifying the bicameral conference committee report on a bill resetting the first regular BARMM parliamentary elections to Sept. 14. The bill will also synchronize subsequent BARMM elections with national and local polls starting May 2031 and every three years thereafter. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, the bill's sponsor, said the bicam report settled the assumption of office for parliamentary officials on Oct. 30 this year and on June 30 in future elections. On Tuesday night, the Senate also approved on second reading the proposed “People’s Freedom of Information Act.” This adjournment follows the passage of these priority measures. Session resumes May 4.

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Brazilian Senate session illustrating postponement of electoral reform Plan B debate, with senators announcing delay and calendar update on screen.
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Senate postpones discussion on electoral reform plan B

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The Senate postponed discussion of the electoral reform plan B from March 23 to March 24 due to technical reviews and internal PT debates on the revocation of mandate date. The PT objects to holding it in the third year of government, as it would overlap with the 2027 elections. The opposition praised the PT for criticizing the bill.

Three Senate committees have endorsed a proposal to schedule the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) for September 2026, to ensure sufficient preparation time and support peace efforts in the Muslim-majority area. This follows multiple postponements since the region's establishment in 2019.

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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.

A March 10 report by the International Crisis Group cautions that pushing Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elections to 2028 could deepen divisions within the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), amid ongoing delays following Senate-backed proposals for a 2026 vote.

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Following the bicameral conference committee's reconciliation of the 2026 budget, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson advocated for a reenacted budget in early January over a rushed one unresponsive to needs, allowing time for review of the P6.793-trillion proposal amid public funds controversies. Acting Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said President Marcos will scrutinize it before signing.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared March 14, 2026, a special non-working holiday across all barangays in Antipolo's 2nd District to enable voter participation in the special congressional election. Six candidates are vying for the House seat vacated by the late Romeo Acop. The Commission on Elections will conduct the vote manually.

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The Marcos administration is in the final stages of reviewing the Congress-ratified P6.793-trillion 2026 national budget, set to be signed into law tomorrow. Due to the delay, the government will operate under a reenacted 2025 budget for nearly a week. Amid controversies over pork barrel items and flood control funding, watchdogs urge President Marcos to take action.

 

 

 

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