MORO Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) vice chairman Mohagher Iqbal yesterday urged both houses of Congress and concerned government agencies not to postpone the scheduled Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections scheduled on October 13, 2025.
In a press conference at the Senate, Iqbal said delaying the polls, which is the first to be held in the region, would deprive the Bangsamoro people the opportunity to choose their leaders.
“We call on the Philippine government, both houses of Congress, the Commission on Elections and all concerned stakeholders to respect and follow the schedule and timeline set by law for the upcoming first parliamentary election on October 13, 2025. We strongly appeal to our national leaders to refrain from entertaining any proposal that will again postpone this historic election to choose the regular members of the Bangsamoro Parliament,” said Iqbal, who is also the vice president of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12123 in February this year postponing the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) from May 12, 2025 to October 13, 2025.
Under the law, the next BARMM elections will be held and synchronized with the 2028 national elections and every three years thereafter.
Iqbal admitted there are no bills pending in Congress to postpone anew the BARMM polls, but said they have been receiving reports from the ground that it will be rescheduled to 2028.
“It can be recalled that since the start of the transition period and the appointment of the members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority in 2019, the conduct of the first parliamentary election was already in place. The first extension was granted during the term of president Rodrigo Duterte through Republic Act 11593, which moved the first parliamentary election from May 2022 to May 2025,” Iqbal said.
“The second postponement was approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on February 21, 2025 through Republic Act 12123,” he added.
“At this point in time, while there is no pending bill filed in Congress yet seeking for another postponement of the October 13, 2025 (elections), the MILF is very much concerned of reports reaching us that there is again another move to postpone the parliamentary elections to 2028,” he said.
Iqbal said the Bangsamoro people wants assurance from the Senate and the House that the first BARMM elections will push through in October this year, as he underscored the need to establish democratically elected members of parliament so the region will be able to transition to a fully functioning and empowered autonomous government.
