Deadline extended to file intent to join BARMM polls

FOR the second time, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has extended the deadline for the filing of Manifestations of Intent to Participate (MIPs) in the forthcoming May 2025 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections.

In its Resolution No. 11048, the Commission en banc said the deadline for the filing of MIPs of party representation is pushed back to October 8.

“After due deliberation, the Commission En Banc, by virtue of the powers vested in it by the Constitution, the Omnibus Election Code, the Administrative Code of 1987 and other relevant statutes, hereby resolves to extend the deadline for filing the Manifestation of Intent to Participate (MIP) to October 8, 2024,” said the Comelec.

This is the second time that the deadline has been extended. The original deadline was August 30, 2024. This was pushed back to September 30, 2024 last June.

With the latest delay in the deadline for the MIP filing, the Comelec said the Regional Parliamentary Political Parties (RPPPs) may now file their manifestations together with their list of nominees.

Comelec Resolution No. 11045 states that the List of Nominees and Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination with Affidavit of Non-Affinity of RPPPs shall be filed not later than October 8, 2024.

“The List of Nominees and Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination with Affidavit of Non-Affinity shall be personally filed by either the chairperson or president or, in their absence, the secretary-general of the RPPP or by any authorized representative of the Coalition,” said the Comelec.

The poll body said the RPPPs shall nominate 40 nominees from which the party representatives in the BARMM Parliament shall be chosen in case it obtains the required number of votes.

The Comelec said the RPPP nominees must be listed in the priority of preference or ranking.

During the BARMM parliamentary polls, 80 seats in the Bangsamoro Parliament will be contested. This will be composed of 72 parliamentary district seats and eight sectoral representatives.