Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte has officially postponed the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro region, according to the presidential palace.
He signed Republic Act (RA) No. 11593 which moves the date of the parliamentary and regional elections of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to May 2025, synchronized with the next mid-term elections.
With the transition period thus extended, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) will continue to serve as the interim government of BARMM, according to the law.
The law authorizes the President to appoint 80 new members of the BTA once the term of its current members expires on June 30, 2022.
New members of the BTA will serve until June 30, 2025, the law said.
RA No. 15593 will take effect 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.
The law would ensure the fulfillment of all agreements under the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro (CAB) between the National Government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Senator Francis Tolentino said in a statement.
“The approval is most welcome since a postponement is needed to achieve long and lasting peace in the region,” said Mr. Tolentino, who chairs the Senate committee on Local Government. — Kyle Aristophere Atienza