IN a race against time to save the region’s first parliamentary elections, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament approved the critical redistricting law shortly after midnight on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
The passage of BTA Bill No. 415, also known as the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Districts Act of 2025, removes the final legal obstacle preventing the elections scheduled for March 30, 2026.
After a 10-hour special session, the vote was called at 12:33 a.m. The measure passed with 48 lawmakers voting in favor, 19 against, and four abstaining.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) had previously warned that without a valid districting law, the historic polls would be legally impossible, threatening to extend the transition period yet again.
Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, who certified the bill as urgent, described the vote as a defining test for the region.
“This is non-negotiable for the future of our people,” Macacua said, warning that failure would have plunged the region back into political limbo.
The new map
The new law establishes 32 single-member parliamentary districts. It was crafted to comply with constitutional standards, requiring contiguous boundaries and a minimum population of 100,000 per district.
The districts are distributed as follows:
Lanao del Sur (including Marawi City): Nine districts
Maguindanao del Norte: Five districts
Maguindanao del Sur: Five districts
Basilan: Four districts
Tawi-Tawi: Four districts
Cotabato City: Three districts
Special Geographic Area (SGA): Two districts
A ‘living democratic reality’
The debate leading up to the vote was shaped heavily by the 2025 Supreme Court ruling that excluded Sulu from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm).
Representatives from the island provinces of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi argued forcefully during the session against marginalization, insisting that the region’s autonomy must not tilt overwhelmingly toward the mainland provinces.
Despite the contentious debate, the bill’s passage signals the transition from appointed leadership to elected representation.
“This vote transforms decades of peace talks into a living democratic reality,” a senior parliamentary source said. “This is where transition finally gives way to true representation.”
With the framework secured, the Comelec is expected to finalize precinct configurations and open the filing of Certificates of Candidacy in the coming weeks.
The March 2026 elections will elect 32 district representatives. They will sit alongside 40 party-list representatives and eight sectoral representatives to form the first regular 80-member Bangsamoro Parliament.
