Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua delivers his speech during the opening of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament’s fourth regular session at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex, Bangsamoro Government Center, in Cotabato City. (Hamdan Badrudin/BIO)
COTABATO CITY – To address the legal and electoral vacuum left by the Province of Sulu’s separation from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Government of the Day filed on Tuesday, April 8, the Bangsamoro Parliament Bill No. 351.
The proposed measure seeks the reappropriation of the seven district seats originally allocated to Sulu ahead of the region’s first parliamentary elections in October 2025.
The bill was filed on the same day Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, in his address during the opening of the Parliament’s fourth regular session, called on the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament to expedite the redistricting process.
“I call on this august body to treat with utmost urgency the reappropriation of these seven district seats in time for the October elections,” Macacua said during the session at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex (SKCC) inside the Bangsamoro Government Center (BGC) here.
“As we all know, one of the main reasons for resetting the parliamentary elections from May to October 2025 is the legal and electoral vacuum concerning the seven parliamentary districts originally intended for the Province of Sulu,” he explained.
On Feb. 5, 2025, both chambers of the Philippine Congress approved Senate Bill (S.B.) No. 2942, which officially rescheduled the pioneering BARMM parliamentary polls to this year’s October.
Macacua emphasized that the reallocation of the Sulu seats is not merely an ‘electoral necessity’ but a ‘moral imperative,’ stating, “It is about upholding the sanctity of democratic representation, ensuring that no voice is left unheard.”
BTA Speaker Pangalian Balindong expressed optimism regarding the regional legislative body’s commitment to advancing its priority legislative agenda despite the challenges brought about by Sulu’s exclusion.
“While the exclusion of Sulu has undoubtedly raised various uncertainties, especially concerning the laws enacted by this Parliament and with regard to the upcoming BARMM parliamentary elections, I remain confident that our resilience and ability to adapt will carry us through the same,” Pangalian stated.
Under Section 1, Article IV of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code (BEC), there shall be 32 district representatives—comprising 40 percent of the 80-member BTA Parliament—seven of whom were initially designated for Sulu.
Passed in March 2023, the BEC is a legal measure of the Parliament that outlines the electoral system and rules for the BARMM. It is also one of the priority codes of the legislative body.
Evolving a strong, responsive, and relevant BARMM bureaucracy through the enactment of the remaining priority codes and legislation remains the first priority agenda of the Government of the Day. (Johamin Inok/BIO)
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