Comply with requirements, Comelec orders political parties
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) reminded all 16 regional political parties intending to participate in the Bangsamoro Region parliamentary election to comply with the law-mandated 10,000 membership requirement. Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Sunday that because of the Supreme Court ruling removing the province of Sulu from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the membership of each of the 16 political parties has also been reduced. "The problem is with the removal of Sulu [from the BARMM], their 10,000 members were deducted. That is why we issued an order last Friday to require the 16 political parties to add more members to offset those that were removed," he added. This is why, Garcia said, the commission decided to reset the filing of the certificate of candidacy (CoC) from November 4 to 9. The poll chief pointed out that the 10,000 membership is mandated by the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, and without the number, no Comelec accreditation would be issued. "They could not submit their list of nominees and the manifestation of intention to participate in parliamentary election if they could not complete the 10,000 membership requirement," added Garcia. Rule II Section 1 of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code states that a regional political party shall have at least 10,000 members who are residents and registered voters in the BARMM. Garcia said that the exclusion of Sulu from the BARMM had a crucial effect on the ongoing pre-election activities of the Comelec, and there is a need to accommodate several adjustments in the commission's administrative jurisdiction over Sulu and allocation of parliamentary districts and membership to Regional Parliamentary Political Party and Parliamentary Sectoral Organization. Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law that created the BARMM, 80 seats were available in the Parliament, composed of 40 party representatives, 32 district representatives and eight sectoral representatives. The first-ever Bangsamoro Region parliamentary election will be held simultaneously with the May 2025 midterm national elections. During the election next year, two ballots will be issued to BARMM voters, one for the national and local elections and the other for the Bangsamoro parliamentary election. Elected BARMM officials will assume office on June 30, 2025. They will succeed the interim Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament, whose members are all presidential appointees. The BARMM chief minister will be selected through an election among the 73 elected members of the parliament. A nominee for chief minister needs at least 37 votes to win the race.
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) reminded all 16 regional political parties intending to participate in the Bangsamoro Region parliamentary election to comply with the law-mandated 10,000 membership requirement.
Chairman George Erwin Garcia said on Sunday that because of the Supreme Court ruling removing the province of Sulu from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the membership of each of the 16 political parties has also been reduced.
"The problem is with the removal of Sulu [from the BARMM], their 10,000 members were deducted. That is why we issued an order last Friday to require the 16 political parties to add more members to offset those that were removed," he added.
This is why, Garcia said, the commission decided to reset the filing of the certificate of candidacy (CoC) from November 4 to 9.
The poll chief pointed out that the 10,000 membership is mandated by the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, and without the number, no Comelec accreditation would be issued.
"They could not submit their list of nominees and the manifestation of intention to participate in parliamentary election if they could not complete the 10,000 membership requirement," added Garcia.
Rule II Section 1 of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code states that a regional political party shall have at least 10,000 members who are residents and registered voters in the BARMM.
Garcia said that the exclusion of Sulu from the BARMM had a crucial effect on the ongoing pre-election activities of the Comelec, and there is a need to accommodate several adjustments in the commission's administrative jurisdiction over Sulu and allocation of parliamentary districts and membership to Regional Parliamentary Political Party and Parliamentary Sectoral Organization.
Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law that created the BARMM, 80 seats were available in the Parliament, composed of 40 party representatives, 32 district representatives and eight sectoral representatives.
The first-ever Bangsamoro Region parliamentary election will be held simultaneously with the May 2025 midterm national elections.
During the election next year, two ballots will be issued to BARMM voters, one for the national and local elections and the other for the Bangsamoro parliamentary election.
Elected BARMM officials will assume office on June 30, 2025. They will succeed the interim Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament, whose members are all presidential appointees.
The BARMM chief minister will be selected through an election among the 73 elected members of the parliament. A nominee for chief minister needs at least 37 votes to win the race.
