Congress ratifies bill postponing BARMM polls to 2025听
CONGRESS has听ratified the bicameral conference committee report on a measure听that will听postpone the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao鈥檚听(BARMM) first regular elections to 2025 instead of next year.听听
Voting 21-2听late Monday, majority of the senators approved the report which ironed out the disagreeing provisions of Senate Bill 2214 and House Bill 10121 to move the date of the BARMM parliamentary elections to 2025, synchronizing听it with the next midterm elections.听听听
The House听of Representatives听ratified the bicameral report听last week.听听
The proposed law will now be sent to President Rodrigo R. Duterte, who has previously expressed support for the postponement,听for his signature.听听
Under the听reconciled version听of the bill, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) shall continue as the interim government in the Bangsamoro听region听and its current members, who were appointed by Mr. Duterte, will serve until June 30, 2022.听听听
The new president who will be elected next year will have authority to appoint听80 new interim听BTA听members听who will听serve up to June 2025 or until their successors shall have been elected.听
鈥淭he reconciled provision will expedite the rollout of development and recovery efforts in the听region through the effective leadership of competent, accountable, and reliable officials in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority,鈥澨齭aid Senator Francis N. Tolentino, chair of the Senate panel in the听bicameral conference committee,听during the plenary.听听
The extension of the BARMM transition period, he added, would听provide more time and focus for the听political and normalization efforts embodied in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro amid the health crisis.听鈥斕鼳lyssa Nicole O. Tan听
