SC ruling removing Sulu from BARMM must be implemented immediately

The Supreme Court (SC) ruling removing Sulu province from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) should be fully implemented despite a pending appeal, SC spokesperson Camille Ting said Tuesday.

Ting clarified that 'immediately executory' means the decision must be implemented immediately and there would be no reason for the Court to say otherwise if it intended differently.

The court's ruling was issued knowing that the election cannot be postponed, ensuring that Sulu will not participate in BARMM's first parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2025.

Senate Finance Committee Chairperson Senator Grace Poe has maintained that the status quo is being preserved while awaiting a final SC decision and noted that unless it is the Court’s final ruling, Sulu will continue receiving its allocated budget for now.

The Bangsamoro Attorney General's Office filed two motions in October seeking to intervene and asking the court for reconsideration, while separate bills have been filed by the Senate and House of Representatives to reset the BARMM parliamentary elections from May 2025 to May 2026.