February 25, 2026
Senator Bong Go supports reset of BARMM parliamentary elections to September 2026 to ensure lawful and orderly democratic transition in Bangsamoro
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Senator Christopher “Bong” Go voted in favor of the measure resetting the first regular parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), emphasizing the need to protect the integrity of the region’s democratic transition and allow sufficient time for legal and administrative preparations.
On Monday, March 2, the Senate approved on third reading Senate Bill No. 1823, which seeks to amend Section 13, Article XVI of Republic Act No. 11054, or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), to reset the first regular BARMM parliamentary elections to September 2026. Go is officially listed as a co-author and co-sponsor of the bill and voted “yes” during its final passage.
Under the BOL, signed on July 26, 2018, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was established and, upon ratification, would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) under a parliamentary form of regional government. The BOL provided for the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to serve as the interim government during the transition period.
Section 13 of the BOL originally set the first regular BARMM parliamentary elections to be synchronized with the 2022 national elections. This schedule was later reset under Republic Act No. 11593 (October 28, 2021) to be synchronized with the 2025 national elections. Republic Act No. 12123 (February 19, 2025) subsequently set the BARMM parliamentary election date on October 13, 2025, but the Supreme Court later ordered the postponement of the October 13, 2025 polls and directed COMELEC to conduct the parliamentary elections no later than March 31, 2026.
Senate Bill No. 1823, approved by the Senate on third reading on March 2, 2026, proposes resetting the first regular BARMM parliamentary elections to September 14, 2026.
As co-author and co-sponsor of the measure, Go underscored that the reset is intended to safeguard the legitimacy of the electoral exercise rather than delay representation.
“Mahalaga na matiyak natin na maayos, malinaw, at handa ang lahat bago tayo magsagawa ng halalan sa BARMM. Ang layunin nito ay tiyakin na kapag bumoto ang mga kababayan natin sa Bangsamoro, buo ang tiwala nila sa proseso,” the senator said.
He added that ensuring compliance with legal requirements and proper preparation is necessary for long-term stability in the region.
“Mas mabuting paghandaan ito nang maigi kaysa magmadali at magkaroon ng problema sa bandang huli. Ang mahalaga ay maging maayos ang paglipat mula sa transition period tungo sa ganap na halal na pamahalaan,” Go explained.
The BOL was enacted following decades of armed conflict in parts of Mindanao and was ratified through plebiscites held in January and February 2019. It established a parliamentary regional government designed to provide greater fiscal and political autonomy to the Bangsamoro.
When he signed the law, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte described the measure as addressing “historical injustices committed against the Bangsamoro” and as a step toward ending decades of conflict and opening a new chapter for Mindanao.
The transition authority was tasked with organizing the regional bureaucracy, drafting priority legislation, and preparing the institutional framework ahead of the first regular parliamentary elections.
For Go, maintaining the credibility of that transition remains central.
“Ang proseso ng kapayapaan at awtonomiya sa Bangsamoro ay hindi dapat minamadali kung hindi pa handa ang lahat ng mekanismo. Responsibilidad nating tiyakin na maayos at naaayon sa batas ang bawat hakbang,” he said.
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