Bangsamoro Transition Authority Urges Supreme Court to Allow Election Preparations to Resume

Members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), including Abdullah Macapaar, have petitioned the Supreme Court to direct the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to resume its preparations for the forthcoming Bangsamoro parliamentary elections. On Friday, the petitioners filed a very urgent motion seeking clarification on the existing temporary restraining order (TRO) and requested a reiteration of the status quo and mandatory injunction.

Maulana Mamutuk, chairman of the Ranao Charitables Initiatives, explained, ""This petition aims to assist Comelec in fulfilling its mandate to proceed with the election as the current legal obstacle stems from Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) 77, which the Comelec cannot enforce.""

Previously, the Supreme Court issued a TRO that prohibited Comelec, the BTA, and relevant parties from implementing BAA No. 77. This legislation, also known as the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Act of 2025, amended BAA No. 58 by reallocating seven parliamentary districts originally assigned to Sulu. The stock of the case dates back to a 2024 ruling by the Supreme Court that affirmed Sulu's exclusion from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

As a result of the TRO, Comelec ceased all election preparations. However, Mamutuk emphasized that the petition does not seek to postpone the elections but rather requests the suspension of the law (BAA 77) that Comelec is unable to implement. He stated, ""We are not asking for a postponement of the elections. We want the suspension of the new law which Comelec cannot enforce, to allow Comelec to carry out its constitutional mandate.""

Mamutuk further criticized the blanket suspension by Comelec, stating it has led to widespread disenfranchisement. ""Comelec’s sweeping halt of preparations for the October 13 BARMM parliamentary elections has resulted in a crisis of confidence."" The petitioners hope that the Supreme Court will clarify the TRO and allow preparations to move forward, ensuring voters' rights are protected in the upcoming elections.