Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is currently anticipating the enactment of a law that will establish a new date for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections (BPE). Both the Senate and House of Representatives have proposed setting the first BPE on the second Monday of September 2026, specifically September 14, 2026, and Comelec awaits the law's passage.

According to Philippines News Agency, Senate Bill No. 1823 has successfully passed its third reading, while House Bill No. 8220 has been approved on its second reading. Meanwhile, the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE) has expressed approval of the swift advancement of these legislative measures in both chambers of Congress, describing it as a positive development for the rescheduling of the Bangsamoro elections to September 2026.

Despite LENTE's support for the new election date, the group has expressed concerns over the provisions relating to the conduct of subsequent BPEs. The Senate version of the bill proposes that the next BPE be held in 2031, whereas the House version suggests 2029. LENTE advocates for the subsequent polls to occur in May 2028, aligning with existing jurisprudence that mandates synchronization with national and local elections on the second Monday of May 2028.

After the BARMM Parliamentary Elections in September 2026, LENTE insists that the following elections should take place in May 2028. The group argues that proposals for elections in 2031 or 2029 deviate from this legal principle and risk further disrupting the electoral cycle in the region.