Plebiscite for Sulu reinclusion in BARMM not feasible – Comelec

MANILA, Philippines —  Holding a plebiscite to reinclude Sulu in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is no longer feasible this year, according to the Commission on Elections.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia made the statement during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum yesterday, in reaction to a Senate proposal to reinclude Sulu in the BARMM.

“If it is passed into law, the decision lies in the people through a plebiscite,” Garcia said, adding that reinstating Sulu in the  BARMM is complicated and requires a long process.

He said the Supreme Court ruling on the Sulu exclusion is final and executory, and the seats in the BARMM parliament allocated to Sulu will be distributed to representatives of other provinces.

It is for this reason that the Senate and the House, convening as a bicameral conference committee, agreed to move the BARMM parliamentary elections to Oct. 13, instead of holding it simultaneously with the May elections.

The BARMM postponement bill was certified as urgent by President Marcos.

Moving the schedule of the BARMM elections will require an additional P2.5 billion, Garcia said.

He said  the Comelec may require another filing of certificates of candidacy in the BARMM.

Garcia said the Comelec would abide by the law to be passed by Congress.

Meanwhile, Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Mahail Tan opposed calls to hold a plebiscite for the reinclusion of the province in the BARMM.

Tan said he would only agree to a plebiscite if other provinces would also conduct a similar activity to determine if the people really want their areas to be placed under the jurisdiction of the BARMM.

Sen. JV Ejercito, chair of the Senate committee on local government, yesterday led a hearing on a proposal of Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri to conduct another plebiscite.

During the hearing, Tan appealed to senators not to attach Sulu to the Bangsamoro region, saying local officials and residents would prefer trying to stand on their own.

“The development in my province has been set back by so many decades. The initial result of the plebiscite showed the will of the people, the will of God,” Tan said.

He said he would resign from his post if 20 percent of registered voters