DUE to the continued lack of clarity regarding the parliamentary seats formerly assigned to the province of Sulu, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said the seats will be deemed temporarily vacant when the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) is held on October 13.
In a statement, the Comelec said it will leave the seven seats vacant and won’t cause the election of its district representatives.
“The seven district representative seats in the Bangsamoro Parliament previously allocated to Sulu are considered temporarily vacant,” it said.
It said it will leave the decision how to fill them up to other branches of government.
“These vacancies may be subsequently filled through presidential appointment, or as may later be determined by a ruling of the Supreme Court, or future legislation from the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) or the Philippine Congress,” it added.
The exclusion of Sulu province from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) by the Supreme Court (SC) was among the reasons for the postponement of the BPE from May 12 to October 13.
This as there is a need for the Bangsamoro Parliament to first amend the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Districts Act of 2024 and decide what to do with the seven parliamentary seats originally allocated for Sulu.
The Comelec reiterated it will proceed with the conduct of the October 13 polls with only 73 seats to be voted upon.
“The decision comes after a very careful study and consideration of the tight pre-election timelines in relation to the 2025 BARMM Parliamentary Elections,” it said.
The October 13 BPE marks the first time that a parliamentary polls will be held in BARMM.
