BPE postponement to invalidate COCs filed: Comelec
All the 111 Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) and seven Manifestations of Intent to Participate (MIPs) filed earlier November will be invalidated once a law is passed pushing back the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections (BPE) from May 12, 2025 to May 11, 2026.
"In the event that there will be a law passed (deferring the BPE), we will have another round of filing of COCs (and MIPs)," said Comelec chairman George Garcia in a briefing on Friday.
This, he said, is unless the envisioned law will provide that the COCs and MIPs filed will remain valid for the rescheduled BPE.
"But, under ordinary circumstances, all filings for candidacy will be invalidated. Therefore, we should have a new COC (and MIP) filing," stressed Garcia.
Senate President Francis Escudero filed Senate Bill No. 2682, which seeks to postpone the 2025 BPE to May 11, 2026.
House Speaker Martin Romualdez filed House Bill No. 11034, which is in response to the initial request of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) for the postponement of the 2025 BPE.
The Comelec began receiving the COCs, MIPs, and other related documents from the BARMM field offices Friday.
A total of 25 seats will be up for grabs for parliamentary district representatives, while 40 seats will be filled up by regional parliamentary political parties. DMS
