House OKs postponing BARMM election to May 2026

A House committee approved a measure on Wednesday to postpone the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) general elections by one year to May 11, 2026.

The proposed law aims to give the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) more time to address governance and administrative issues stemming from a Supreme Court decision excluding Sulu from the autonomous region.

House Bill 11034 was approved by the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, which seeks additional time for resolving legal issues and enhancing voter understanding of new electoral processes.

The bill also proposes the President to appoint interim members of the BTA until successors are elected, while a counterpart bill has been filed in the Senate to reconfigure BARMM's jurisdictions following the SC ruling.

Subsequent elections are scheduled for May 2029 and every three years thereafter.