NEWS
7October
Iqbal voices concerns on BARMM election timing, citing potential for further postponement to 2028
- Oct 7, 2025
- Taher G. Solaiman
- HITS: 2740
Iqbal, who wears multiple hats as a Member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament, Minister of the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE), First Vice Chairman of the MILF, and Chairman of the MILF Peace Implementing Panel, framed the current debate on the election date into two scenarios:
- Scenario 1: Election on or before March 31, 2026—This possibility hinges on the passage of a "new sound redistricting bill," which is a necessary step following the Supreme Court's ruling on the exclusion of Sulu from the BARMM and its mandate for the Parliament to reallocate the district seats.
- Scenario 2: Election Postponed to May 2028—Iqbal's more apprehensive view suggests that the current "hullabaloos" and debates over the election date are part of a larger political "grand design for control and winning in 2028." He posits that a new law may be introduced in the national Congress to again reset and synchronize the BARMM elections with the country's national and local polls in 2028.
While Republic Act No. 12123, which was approved earlier this year, explicitly reset the first regular BARMM parliamentary election to October 13, 2025, and scheduled subsequent elections to be synchronized with the 2028 national elections and every three years thereafter, the latest developments surrounding the Sulu exclusion have again sparked legislative action.
Iqbal’s statement reflects a deep-seated concern within the original proponents of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) that further delays could undermine the legitimacy and momentum of the MILF-led transition government, which has been in place since 2019.
The MILF's political wing, the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), has previously expressed a preference for the earliest possible election date to secure a mandate from the people.
The BTA official urged the public to "watch closely and discern," signaling that the political battle over the final timeline for the Bangsamoro's first democratic exercise is far from over and remains a crucial test for the stability and integrity of the peace process.
Time in Cotabato
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