COMELEC Chairman Garcia Assures BARMM Parliamentary Elections Will Proceed on October 13 Despite Uncertainty in Number of Seats
COTABATO CITY (August 20, 2025) — Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Atty. George Erwin Garcia has acknowledged the primary challenge currently facing the Commission ahead of the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Election: uncertainty regarding the final number of parliamentary seats due to the pending Redistricting Bill.
Garcia made this statement during the Grand Launch of the “Botong Bangsamoro” Voter Education Program, held Wednesday at Ebrahim Hall, KDT Manor Hotel, Sinsuat Avenue, RH-9, Cotabato City.
He explained that although the Bangsamoro Transition Authority-Parliament passed the redistricting measure on its third and final reading last Tuesday— reallocating seven seats from Sulu to other provinces— the bill must still undergo several legislative processes before it can become law.
As a result, the COMELEC is unsure whether to conduct the elections based on the current 73-seat configuration or to adjust to a possible 80-seat setup, should the Redistricting Act of 2025 be enacted in time. If the latter occurs, it would require the refiling of Certificates of Candidacy (COC) due to changes in district boundaries.
Garcia also noted that this uncertainty is already affecting logistical preparations, particularly the ballot printing process, which officially began last Wednesday.
Despite these challenges, the COMELEC Chair emphasized the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that the BARMM Parliamentary Election will take place as scheduled on October 13, 2025 regardless of the final number of seats.
Garcia reiterated that the COMELEC is dedicated to providing a smooth and credible election, whether it involves 73 or 80 seats. “Ang importante tuloy, 73 man yan o 80 man yan ay dapat inaasahan ng kababayan natin ay pupunta ako sa presinto sa October 13,” said in Filipino. (Tu Alid Alfonso, BMN/BangsamoroToday)
