The Commission on Elections (Comelec) continues to maintain silence regarding its timeline for implementing Republic Act No. 11593, the legislation that creates eight parliamentary districts within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Despite the law's passage, which mandates the delineation of these electoral districts, the poll body has not issued any official statement or circular outlining the steps for its execution. This delay leaves many questions unanswered about the future parliamentary elections in the region.
What the Law Establishes
The legislation specifically creates parliamentary districts across various provinces and cities within BARMM:
- Cotabato City and 64 BARMM barangays in North Cotabato will form a single parliamentary district
- Basilan will be divided into two parliamentary districts
- Sulu will be divided into two parliamentary districts
- Tawi-Tawi will constitute one parliamentary district
- Maguindanao del Norte will form one parliamentary district
- Maguindanao del Sur will form one parliamentary district
- Special Geographic Area will form one parliamentary district
- Lamitan City will form one parliamentary district
Implementation Timeline Uncertain
Comelec's inaction means there is currently no clear schedule for when these districts will be officially recognized and implemented. The commission has not provided any updates on when it plans to issue the necessary implementing rules and regulations.
This delay could potentially affect future electoral processes in the Bangsamoro region, as the district delineation is crucial for organizing parliamentary elections under the BARMM setup.
The continued wait for Comelec action leaves local officials and stakeholders in limbo, uncertain about how the new district boundaries will impact political representation and governance in the autonomous region.
