New Legal Curveball Casts Uncertainty over Bangsamoro October Polls

The Supreme Court has issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the reapportioning of parliamentary districts in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), pending the resolution of the measure’s constitutionality. 

The TRO casts uncertainty over the BARMM Parliamentary Elections in October as the Commission on Elections decided to pause its internal preparations for the upcoming polls in light of the ruling, though officials emphasized that security measures like the election gun ban remain in place. Reactions from local stakeholders vary, but there is a consensus to push through with the elections this October, which have been overdue since 2022.

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