Marcos considers delaying 2025 BARMM election due to SC ruling

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. stated on Friday that calls to suspend next year's Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elections are being studied due to the Supreme Court's decision separating Sulu from BARMM.

Marcos acknowledged during a media interview in Lingayen, Pangasinan, that there is a possibility of postponing the polls as an 'unintended consequence' of the SC ruling and emphasized the need for changes in the Local Government Code, Administrative Code, and Electoral Code.

Senate President Francis Escudero filed Senate Bill 2862 at the request of Malacañang to postpone the BARMM elections from May 12, 2025, to May 11, 2026, while House Speaker Martin Romualdez led the filing of a similar measure in the House.

Three governors have supported the move to delay the polls to provide necessary time for addressing parliamentary seat distribution and other critical tasks required for a fully functioning BARMM government.

Under the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, seven seats are allocated to Sulu, but the Supreme Court's decision has declared that Sulu is no longer part of BARMM.

Two members of the Bangsamoro Parliament support postponing the elections to reallocate Sulu’s seats, while CSAT believes there is still enough time to address this issue before the polls.