Manila: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has enacted Republic Act (RA) 12317, which reschedules the inaugural regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to the second Monday of September 2026. Under the new law, the interim Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) will continue to function as the interim government in BARMM, unless its members are replaced by the President or elected to another office.
According to Philippines News Agency, RA 12317 aims to align the BARMM Parliamentary Elections with the national and local elections, scheduling the regular elections for the Bangsamoro Government on the second Monday of May 2031 and every three years thereafter. This law assigns the Commission on Elections the responsibility to establish rules and regulations for conducting the elections, ensuring they are enforced and administered in line with national law, Organic Law, and the Bangsamoro Electoral Code.
The law stipulates that the interim members of the BTA will continue their roles until their successors are elected and certified in an automated election. The same automated election system used in the May 2025 polls is set to be employed for the first BARMM elections, encompassing all machines, devices, equipment, and supplies, along with the service providers for their operation and maintenance.
RA 12317 also mandates a new period for filing certificates of candidacy for parliamentary district representatives and the necessary documents by accredited political parties or coalitions. Candidacies filed from November 4 to 9, 2024, will need to be refiled within the newly established period.
All qualified voters registered in the permanent list within the BARMM precincts will be eligible to vote in the upcoming BARMM polls. Elected officials from the BARMM parliamentary elections will commence their terms at noon on October 30, 2026, concluding on June 30, 2031. From 2031 onwards, elected officials will assume office at noon on June 30 following their election.
Funding for implementing RA 12317 will be sourced from the available appropriations of the Commission on Elections, with the possibility of additional budgetary support from the BARMM government if necessary.
