COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia stated that the postponement would provide crucial time for the Bangsamoro Parliament to address the allocation of seats, particularly in light of the recent Supreme Court decision excluding Sulu from the BARMM. The legal and technical issues arising from this decision require careful consideration to ensure fair representation.

 

Garcia further highlighted the need to resolve the issue of sectoral representatives in the Parliament. While these representatives are to be elected through an assembly, no guidelines have yet been released by the Bangsamoro Electoral Office (BEO) regarding the assembly's procedures and the election process for sectoral representatives.

 

Finally, the chairman pointed to the unresolved issue of eight municipalities in the Special Geographic Area (SGA) which lack a province and legislative districts. This situation would prevent residents of these municipalities from voting in the upcoming elections, similar to the previous election.

 

The COMELEC, however, lacks the authority to create new provinces, as this power is vested solely in Congress according to the Constitution.

 

While the COMELEC is prepared for the 2025 elections, Chairman Garcia expressed hope that the issues facing the regional government will be addressed before the first parliamentary elections can be held.