PASIG CITY — Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr. thanked the Senate and the House of the Representatives for passing the bicameral conference committee report which re-schedules the first Parliamentary Elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

“The OPAPRU extends its deepest gratitude to the honorable members of the Senate and House of Representatives for heeding the call of President Marcos and all our peace stakeholders to move the BARMM elections to a later date,” Galvez said.

“This is a testament of our dear legislators’ unwavering commitment to the Bangsamoro peace process, particularly in giving the BARMM government more time to address pressing concerns in preparation for the upcoming regional elections,” he added.

Earlier, the President issued a letter to the Philippine Senate certifying the bill rescheduling the BARMM elections as urgent.

In a statement released by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), it said: “The move would address the urgent need of the Bangsamoro transitional government to realign its governance structure.”

Unwavering commitment

According to Galvez, “President Marcos has declared that the peace process in the Bangsamoro as the cornerstone of his administration’s peace agenda and therefore, its gains need to be preserved at all cost.”

He noted that the President’s directive to move the BARMM elections to a later date was aligned with the results of the extensive consultative efforts conducted by the OPAPRU with its stakeholders across the country.

The five-month deferment of the political exercise, Galvez said, is the Philippine government’s response to emerging realities on the ground that must be addressed, such as issues arising from the Supreme Court’s decision to exclude the province of Sulu from the BARMM.

Reiterating President Marcos’ guidance, the peace adviser said, “It is better to act right instead of fast-tracking the conduct of the BARMM elections, which could result in issues that may have adverse repercussions on the Bangsamoro peace process.”

He pointed out that with the election reset, both the national and the BARMM governments will be able to fulfill their respective commitments under all signed Bangsamoro peace agreements.

Legal issues

According to Galvez, the postponement of the elections would also enable the Bangsamoro government to institute the necessary amendments to key legislation such as the Electoral and Local Government Code.

These revisions, he explained, would align these codes with the Supreme Court’s decision to exclude Sulu from the BARMM, and cushion the impact of the High Court’s ruling on the province.

“Instituting these amendments will take time. We believe that rescheduling the BARMM election would allow the Bangsamoro government to resolve all possible legalities to ensure smooth, peaceful and credible elections in October 2025,” Galvez stressed.

In line with the revisions to be made to the BARMM codes, it is expected that the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) would focus on amendments that would reallocate Sulu’s seven seats to other BARMM provinces.