SC ruling on BARMM must be implemented amid pending appeal — spox

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

In a message to reporters, Ting said the SC's ruling that the province of Sulu is not part of BAMM shall take effect immediately.

"Immediately executory means that the decision should be fully implemented despite the pending motion for reconsideration. There would be no reason for the Court to say it was immediately executory if it intended otherwise," she said.

"The Court, consistent with its prior rulings, issued the order making the decision immediately executory knowing that the election cannot be postponed," she added.

Last week, the Bangsamoro government asked the SC to re-include the Sulu province to the Bangsamoro Region.

Due to the pending motion, Senator Grace Poe has said the province is still included in the allocated budget for BARMM.

"BARMM is anticipating that Sulu is part of their group so there's a P9-billion block grant. Unless it's the final decision of the Supreme Court, right now, kung ano pa 'yung natatanggap ng Sulu, ganoon pa rin 'yung matatanggap nila (what Sulu is receiving, that is what the province will still get)," Poe had said.

GMA News Online has requested comment from Poe's office regarding the SC spokesperson's statements, but has yet to reply as of posting time.

BARMM is set to have its first parliamentary elections in May 2025. Sulu will not be participating in the upcoming polls due to the SC decision.

Last Monday, two members of the Bangsamoro Parliament expressed support for the proposed postponement of the first-ever BARMM parliamentary elections.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has said that a total of 109 aspirants and around six regional political parties filed certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the first Bangsamoro elections in May 2025. — VDV, GMA Integrated News