Bangsamoro Democracy Cannot Wait

The October 2025 BARMM Regional Elections will mark the realization of Bangsamoro democracy and political legitimacy. Elections are the foundation of any democratic system. Their conduct, as mandated by law, is not mere compliance but a recognition that all BARMM citizens are political equals with the right to determine the course of their hard-won regional autonomy.

The statement of COMELEC Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia regarding the Supreme Court’s Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) on the implementation of Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 77 (BAA-77) deserves scrutiny. This TRO, which halts the reallocation of seven parliamentary districts initially assigned to Sulu, was never about cancelling preparations for the elections.

In his statement, the Chairman appears cautious. However, the very idea of halting preparations raises serious legal, political, and practical questions. A TRO does not strike down a law. The October 2025 elections are mandated by law, and COMELEC is constitutionally obligated to ensure they are held on time. To be clear: the TRO enjoins the implementation of BAA-77, but it does not prevent COMELEC from continuing preparations under the framework provided by BAA-58.

It must also be reiterated that a TRO is not a final judgment. It merely suspends implementation pending the Court’s resolution; it does not invalidate or repeal BAA-77. While BAA-77 remains part of the legal framework, its suspension has nothing to do with election preparations—especially those not directly tied to the contested provisions.

By suggesting that preparations might stop, Chairman Garcia inadvertently implies a possibility that should not exist. With BAA-77 frozen, BAA-58 will continue to serve as the legal framework that governs the conduct of the 2025 elections. This is the fallback mechanism that ensures COMELEC still has a clear legal basis to proceed

Halting preparations altogether ignores this reality. Disputes over Sulu’s representation existed even before BAA-77, yet COMELEC was still bound to prepare elections under the prevailing law. In fact, COMELEC itself previously acknowledged the difficulty of fully implementing BAA-77 due to time constraints, ballot design, district reconfiguration, and candidate filing.

Stopping preparations for the October 13 elections is unacceptable, even with the TRO in place. Any delay would result in disenfranchisement. The legitimacy of the Bangsamoro Government rests profoundly on these elections, where citizens will demonstrate consent to be governed by casting their votes for the parties and leaders they choose.

Chairman Garcia’s prudence may be understandable, but the claim that COMELEC may need to stop preparations is debatable. The TRO is temporary; it was never intended to cancel the elections. COMELEC is duty-bound to continue preparations—whether under BAA-58 or BAA-77—until the Supreme Court issues a final ruling. To do otherwise risks undermining not only the October 2025 elections but also the very legitimacy of the Bangsamoro Government.