The Senate on Tuesday approved on second reading the bill resetting the first-ever Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elections to October 13, 2025.
Senate Bill 2942 was approved via viva voce with Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III voting against its passage.
“It is with a heavy heart that I have to vote no to this proposal. Last time kasi, we stated that it would be the last resetting and then it’s only for very special justification or very serious circumstances that we are allowing the resetting of this upcoming May 12, 2025 election and then we are now permanently desynchronizing the BARMM elections with the national and local elections,” he said in explaining his vote.
SB 2942 originally proposed to move the May 12, 2025 elections to August 11 of the same year.
But the second reading version of the bill moved it further to October 13, 2025.
Under the latest version of the bill, the next election shall be held and synchronized with the 2028 national elections, and every three years thereafter.
In a press conference earlier today, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said the amendment was suggested by security officials and in consideration of the processes that need to be undertaken due to the exclusion of Sulu from the BARMM.
Despite the amendment, the Senate version of the bill is still different from the proposal in the House of Representatives.
The bill that was approved on third and final reading in the House of Representatives proposed to defer the polls to May 2026.
Should this be the case, a bicameral conference committee will be created to reconcile the disagreeing provisions of the versions of the two chambers.
The Senate or the House of Representatives could also just adopt the version that they wanted to send to Malacañang. —LDF, GMA Integrated News
