Marcos vows successful BARMM parliamentary polls in September

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said he is determined to ensure the successful conduct of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections in September.

Speaking before BARMM officials in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, Marcos noted that the region's first-ever parliamentary elections have been rescheduled to September 14.

"We are determined that we will push through with the second Monday of September—in the coming September—and to finally achieve our dream, our goal of being able to say that we have a duly elected parliament in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao," Marcos said.

"This provides the BARMM Government sufficient time to implement the Court's decision while upholding the autonomy and democratic aspirations of the Bangsamoro people," he added.

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) postponed the BARMM parliamentary elections, originally scheduled for March, after the Supreme Court ruled that Sulu is no longer part of the autonomous region, citing insufficient time to prepare for the polls.

Congress later moved the elections to September through a measure that Marcos signed into law in March.

Despite the President's optimism, the COMELEC has placed 27 election areas in the BARMM under the "red" category ahead of the polls.

COMELEC Chairperson George Garcia said the designation was based solely on the areas' history of election-related violence.

Marcos was also in Maguindanao del Norte to distribute assistance under the Bawat Barangay Makikinabang Program.

Under the program, each barangay in the BARMM receives P200,000, with half allocated for educational assistance—providing P20,000 each to five scholars—and the remaining half earmarked for priority community projects.

The President said that P7 billion had already been distributed to 34,800 barangays nationwide from April 8 to July 17.— MCG, GMA News