BARMM Polls Postponement Cost Nearly P800M: Comelec Chief

MARAWI CITY (MindaNews / 31 July 2026) – The postponement of the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) from 2025 to 2026 cost the government almost P800 million, over half of it on logistics, according to Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair George Erwin Garcia. “Bago na-postpone ang election umabot na ng P500 million ang gastos sa mga paraphernalia, pagprinta ng mga balota at pag-lease ng mga makina, (Before the postponement, expenses for the paraphernalia, printing of ballots, and lease of machines had already reached P500 million),” Garcia said in an interview Thursday at the Marawi City Convention Center. Garcia was in Marawi City for the briefing on voters’ education and signing of the memorandum of agreement on the information drive on the elections between the Comelec and the Ministry of Basic Higher Technical Education. The signing was witnessed by BARMM and local officials, military and police officials. Garcia said the postponement wasn’t their decision, and it must push through because it’s already hurting the public coffers. The first Bangsamoro elections were supposed to be held in May 2022, but were reset to May 2025. The May 2025 schedule was moved to October 13, 2025 as per Republic Act 12123. On March 25, 2026, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed RA 12317, further postponing the polls to September 14, 2026. Garcia said the Comelec will be using Starlink for quick transmission of results. “The transmission of results will be done simultaneously at 7:00 o’clock in the evening of September 14. No transmission before 7:00 in the evening.” “We have already coordinated with the power sector, with the Department of Energy, for a stable power supply during the election period through the electric cooperatives within BARMM and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines,” he said. He assured the Comelec will do its best so that there will be no power interruption before, during and after the elections. He said the power supply of batteries for the vote counting machines can last three days. He added the Barangay and Sanguniang Kabataan Elections will push through on November 2 this year. (Richel V. Umel/MindaNews)