Koko, Imee oppose BARMM polls postponement

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III and Senate electoral reforms committee chairperson Imee Marcos on Tuesday opposed proposals to postpone the first elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

"The BARMM electrons must push through," Pimentel said in a text message to reporters.

Marcos, meanwhile, said it is time for the BARMM residents to elect the leaders that they want.

"Opposed talaga ako dyan. Kasi kinakailangan marinig na ang boses ng taumbayan. Importanteng marinig ang ating mga kapatid na muslim at hayaan na sila bumoto sa mga kandidatong tunay na gusto nila," Marcos said in an ambush interview.

(I'm strongly opposed to that. Because the voices of the people need to be heard. Our Muslim brothers' voices should be heard and we should allow them to vote for the candidates they truly desire.)

"Lagi naman tayong tinatakot na magkakagulo, magbobombahan. Ayoko ng tinatakot at ako'y naniniwala at naninindigan ako na 'yung ating kapatid na muslim ay sinantabi na ang karahasan. Ayaw na nila ng buhay ng ganon. Tapos na 'yun," she added.

(We're always being threatened with chaos and bombings. I don't like being threatened. I believe and I'm convinced that our Muslim brothers and sisters have already renounced violence. They don't want to live that way anymore.)

Billions of pesos

Marcos believes many are seeking the postponement of the BARMM polls due to the billions of pesos that were provided to the autonomous region.

"Ang mahirap kasi sa BARMM, napakalaki ng perang involved kaya pinag-iinitan. Aminin natin nasa P490 billion na siguro ang na-release simula't sapul," she said.

(I think the problem in BARMM is that the amount of money involved is enormous, which is why they're so interested in that region. We should acknowledge that around P490 billion has already been released since its creation.)

"'Yung sa block grant pa lamang... P70 billion a year tapos plus, plus, plus, kaya pinag-iinteresan ng marami at 'yung iba siguro gusto na manatili na forever ang kadatungan na 'yan," she added.

(There is an allocation of P70 billion per year and there was more funding after that. That's why many are interested in BARMM and maybe some want to hold that amount forever.)

Apart from Pimentel and Marcos, Senator Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri also warned of backlash should the BARMM polls be postponed for the second time.

"We promised then during the extension that we would do it only once as not to subdue the real people’s will that can only be determined through an electoral process. Therefore, we need to know what their justification is for the extension and if it merits an extension," Zubiri, principal author and sponsor of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, said.

"I also know that an extension is not popular with the locally elected leaders and could cause a backlash and therefore we should study that proposal very carefully. I will await the proponents explanation in the coming weeks but due to the tight legislative schedule left due to the budget and the elections, postponing it through a bill would be a very difficult task to do," he added.

Senate Bill 2862

On Monday, Senate President Chiz Escudero filed Senate Bill 2862 which seeks to postpone the first-ever elections in the BARMM from May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2026.

Escudero said that the bill was filed upon the request of Malacañang.

The supposed request from Malacañang came after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. 's meeting the governors of the BARMM where issues related to the autonomous area's path towards peace and prosperity were discussed.

Malacañang has yet to confirm Escudero's remarks.

In filing Senate Bill 2862, Escudero cited the recent Supreme Court ruling which declared the exclusion of Sulu from the Bangsamoro region and the Bangsamoro Transitional Authority Parliament's request for Congress to pass a law forming a new province to be known as Kutawato which will be composed of eight newly-formed municipalities.

Escudero explained that the creation of a new province needs the creation of legislative districts. Should Congress fail to pass laws to create such, the Senate president said it may result in the disenfranchisement of voters in the eight new municipalities.

The bill was referred to the Senate committee on local government led by Senator JV Ejercito instead of Senator Marcos' committee on electoral reforms.

If the bill is enacted, it would be the second time that the BARMM polls will be postponed.

In 2021, former President Rodrigo Duterte signed the law postponing the May 2022 elections in BARMM to May 2025.

—VAL, GMA Integrated News