17-07-2025
Regional party UBJP backs special elections for Bangsamoro seats
A regional parliament political party running in the 2025 Bangsamoro elections on Thursday expressed openness on the conduct of a possible special election to fill vacancies for the seven seats originally assigned to Sulu.
Members of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) on Thursday arrived at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office in Intramuros, Manila to meet with poll chief George Erwin Garcia regarding the status of the first-ever parliamentary elections.
UBJP president Alhaj Murad Ebrahim said Garcia reassured them that the Comelec is ready to hold the elections on October 13 despite the pending decision on the reapportionment of the Sulu seats.
'We're very happy that the Chairman officially assured us na talagang matutuloy na ang elections sa October,' said Ebrahim.
The Bangsamoro polls was reset from May 12 to October 13, 2025 after President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. in February signed into law the measure postponing the first-ever parliamentary elections.
The suspension came months after the Supreme Court (SC), in September 2024, upheld the validity of the Bangsamoro Organic Law but declared that Sulu was not part of BARMM. The Court denied motions seeking the reversal of the decision in November 2024.
The SC ruling necessitated the redistribution of the seven vacated seats originally allocated to Sulu under the Bangsamoro Electoral Code. However, the Bangsamoro government has yet to issue a decision on the reallocation.
'We will try our best na ma-comply namin, but 'yun na nga kung hindi na talaga ma-comply… baka magkaroon nalang ng special elections,' Ebrahim added.
(We will try our best to comply, but if we cannot comply, there may be special elections.)
Mohagher Iqbal, member of the parliament and UBJP vice-president, said the report may be submitted and deliberated by the parliament next week.
'In terms of legislation, we are ready for the committee report and once na ma-submit sa parliament, syempre id-discuss ang committee report, there will be an interpellation at pagbo-botohan. Every district, kailangan pag-botohan yan eh. We cannot lobby together and decide once and for all. Kailangan isa-isahin po yan,' said Iqbal.
(In terms of legislation, we are ready for the committee report and once submitted, there will be interpellation and voting. That is for every district. We cannot lobby together and decide once and for all.)
'We can expect by next week, may official submission sa parliament ang mags-start deliberations,' he said.
(We can expect that by next week, there will be an official submission.)
The Comelec previously said it will continue with the preparations for the BARMM polls with 73 seats. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
