Comelec: Filing of COCs for Bangsamoro polls 'peaceful, orderly'

The first day of the week-long filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) for the first-ever Bangsamoro parliamentary elections has been peaceful and orderly so far, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The filing period was moved to November 4 to November 9, 2024 following the Supreme Court (SC) decision excluding Sulu from the Bangsamoro region. It was initially slated from October 1 to October 8, 2024.

“Peaceful and ordely so far,” Comelec chairperson George Garcia told GMA News Online when asked on the peace situation in the autonomous region.

Garcia and other Comelec officials arrived in Cotabato City on Monday for the start of the filing period of COCs.

As of 12 noon, four aspirants from Lanao del Sur, three from Basilan, two from Tawi-Tawi, two from Maguindanao del Sur, one from Maguindanao del Norte, who are vying for seats in the 80-man Bangsamoro parliament formalized their bids for the 2025 polls.

Five regional political parties also lodged their COCs.

Garcia said they are expecting two to three more hopefuls to file their COCs within the day.

"Pinakita natin...na tuloy na tuloy ang halalan sa Bangsamoro...Gusto natin maipakita sa lahat na magsimula na sila sa pag-file ng COCs and at the same time, gusto natin igarantiya na maayos at tahimik ang magiging filing COCs sa buong bansa," Garcia told reporters in a separate interview.

(We showed that the elections will continue. We want to send signal to aspirants that they should start filing their COCs and at the same time, guarantee a safe and peaceful COC filing.)

At least 73 elective positions were up for grabs for the parliamentary elections, of which 40 were for regional political parties, 25 for parliamentary districts, and eight for sectoral organizations.

Garcia said unlike and parliamentary districts, representatives of sectoral groups will not be elected for the 2025 polls.

"Sa halip na magkaroon ng eleksyon, para sa 2025, 'yung iba't ibang sectors ay magkakaroon ng assembly at sa assembly sila pipili kung sino ang kanilang representante para sa parliamento," said Garcia.

(Instead of including them in the ballot, sectoral groups will hold an assembly where they will elect their representatives.)

The poll body is now waiting for the Bangsamoro government to promulgate the guidelines for the assembly. Garcia also said a special registration may be conducted in 2028 for the election of the sectoral groups.

"Mukhang kakailanganin namin magpaspecial registration dito sa Bangsamoro upang ma-classify ang bawat registered voter kung anong sector sila kanilang para dun sa sector na 'yun sila boboto," he added.

(A special registration may be needed for us to classify the voters.)

At least seven political parties for the Bangsamoro elections so far. The Comelec is eyeing to accredit three more groups.

The Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which was enacted into law on July 27, 2018, seeks to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with BARMM, which will have an expanded land and water jurisdiction, fiscal autonomy, and increased share in national government resources, among others.

In 2018, Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan II questioned before the SC the legality of the BOL, arguing that  ARMM cannot be abolished without amending the Constitution.

Meanwhile, the Sulu province rejected the ratification of the BOL during the plebiscite in 2019.

The BARMM is set to have its first parliamentary elections in May 2025. But with the latest decision, Sulu will not be participating in the elections. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News