COTABATO CITY— As hundreds of Bangsamoro gathered in Cotabato City on Thursday, June 25, to call for the full implementation of the Bangsamoro peace process, election authorities and government agencies are accelerating preparations for the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) this upcoming September 14, 2026.
The said election is viewed as a crucial step in the region’s transition toward full autonomous governance amid growing public pressure to sustain democratic and political commitments in the Bangsamoro region.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec), together with government security forces and partner agencies, is sustaining full-scale preparations for the elections despite pending legislative proposals related to the Bangsamoro polls.
Speaking during the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Election Forum at the Western Mindanao Command headquarters in Zamboanga City, Comelec Chairman George Garcia stressed that there is currently no legal basis to postpone the elections.
“Wala na kayong dapat isa-isip kung hindi tuloy na tuloy na ang eleksyon sa September 14,” Garcia said.
According to Garcia, the elections have already been postponed four times in the past. He noted that there is no Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) from the Supreme Court and no existing law mandating another postponement, allowing election preparations to proceed without interruption.
“As long as the COMELEC is concerned, wala na pong makakapigil sa halalan sa Bangsamoro sa September 14. Tuloy na tuloy po ito,” he added.
Garcia acknowledged the existence of pending legislative measures concerning the elections but emphasized that any decision on such proposals rests with Congress.
“Bagamat alam naman po namin na meron pong mga naka-pending na mga panukalang batas, yan naman po ay diskresyon ng ating Kongreso. Sila naman po ang may final say,” he said.
While lawmakers deliberate on the proposals, Garcia said the poll body and government agencies will continue carrying out all necessary preparations to ensure a peaceful and credible electoral process.
“Si COMELEC, kasama ang ating security forces, kasama ang iba pang ahensya ng pamahalaan ay tuloy-tuloy lamang po ang aming ginagawang paghahanda,” he said.
The 2026 BPE is widely regarded as a key milestone in the implementation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), with voters set to elect members of the Bangsamoro Parliament under the region’s parliamentary form of government.
Election and security officials have been conducting command conferences, coordination meetings, and operational planning activities across the region as part of efforts to strengthen electoral security, logistics, and voter readiness ahead of the polls.
With no official order suspending the elections and preparations continuing at full pace, government agencies are increasingly focusing on ensuring the successful conduct of what is expected to be a defining step in BARMM’s transition from an interim governing arrangement to a fully functioning autonomous parliamentary government.
