Sulu exclusion from BARMM to affect Comelec preparations

WITH the Commission on Elections (Comelec) deep into its preparations for the May 2025 national and local and Bangsamoro parliamentary polls, the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) to exclude Sulu in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has caught it off guard.

In an interview, Comelec chairman George Garcia said they were surprised by the SC ruling that declared the province of Sulu as not a part of the BARMM.

“The Comelec is really surprised. We weren’t expecting this kind of development,” said Garcia, adding that the decision will affect the poll body’s ongoing preparations for the forthcoming poll exercises.

“It poses a huge problem on the part of the Comelec because in our preparations in the system, operations, administrative plans, we had Sulu as part of the BARMM,” he also said.

Nevertheless, the poll chief said the Comelec is not considering the possibility of postponing the first BARMM parliamentary elections.

“At this point, in order to remove any uncertainties, we are announcing that the Comelec is hell bent on proceeding with the elections in Bangsamoro. We will endeavor at all cost to proceed with the elections in Bangsamoro,” said the official.

He said this means that political aspirants from Sulu must continue their preparations in the forthcoming filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs).

“Continue your preparations… Do not think that the elections in the Bangsamoro will not push through,” said Garcia.

He, however, said the poll body will still conduct extensive discussions on how to adjust its preparations and plans considering the exclusion of Sulu in the BARMM.

“We have to make the necessary adjustments. Let’s see what will be the adjustments of the Commission… The entire Commission en banc will thoroughly discuss what we need to do,” said Garcia.

On Monday, the SC ruled that the Bangsamoro Organic Law is valid but declared the province of Sulu as not a part of the BARMM since the province rejected the law’s ratification.