THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has clarified that the historic Bangsamoro parliamentary elections scheduled for October 13 have not been postponed or reset, despite a Supreme Court order to suspend parts of the electoral process.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia warned against those spreading “fake news” about a cancellation, stating that the commission has only halted preparations for a specific part of the electoral exercise.
However, he said other preparations, such as the ban on the movement of government personnel and checkpoints for the gun ban, are continuing.
Garcia said the commission has no authority to stop or postpone the Barmm polls. He pointed out that Comelec must respect the Supreme Court’s Temporary Restraining Order (TRO).
“Pero hindi nangangahulugan na invalid on unconstitutional ang nasabing BAA 77, kundi sinuspendi lang ito bilang bahagi ng judicial process dahil sa reklamong isinampa laban sa nasabing Autonomous Act,” Garcia said.
Garcia explained that the final decision on how the elections will proceed rests with the Supreme Court.
The court could either lift the TRO, allowing BAA 77 to serve as the basis for the elections, or it could declare BAA 77 unconstitutional, which would make BAA 58 and its 73 seats the basis.
Garcia assured that Comelec will immediately comply with the Supreme Court’s decision. He also called on the public to be vigilant against misinformation.
