BARMM PREPARING FOR 1ST PARLIAMENTARY POLLS

THE Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is now preparing for the upcoming first parliamentary elections scheduled in 2025, a BARMM official said on Saturday.

“Iyon pong BARMM sa ngayon, we are preparing for the first parliamentary elections in 2025,” Cabinet Secretary Mohd Asnin Pendatun told the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

CABSEC Pendatun said the anticipation and participation are high in BARMM.

As of Saturday, 16 political parties have registered under the Bangsamoro Commission on Elections (Comelec), Pendatun said.

 “We expect they will have a significant participation sa darating na parliamentary elections,” he said.

Pendatun said voter’s education and information campaigns are in full swing to raise public awareness on the upcoming first parliamentary elections.

“Dahil admittedly, our public ay hindi pa po ganoon kataas iyong level of understanding doon po sa changes from the regular elections before at sa ganito pong first parliamentary elections,” he said.

Pendatun added: “The extended transition period that was granted under the Marcos administration was really crucial in filling in the gaps.”

The extended transition period also enabled the government to provide more opportunity or time to finish priority legislations and codes, he said.

Pendatun was referring to the education code, electoral code, administrative code, local government code, among others.

The official said they hope to pass the revenue code and the indigenous peoples code before the year ends.

“So if not for the extended transition period, mahihirapan ho talagang makapag-takeoff iyong transition government,” Pendatun stressed.

“But with that and the strong support of the national government, we are now preparing for the first parliamentary elections,” he added.

Preparations are essentially completed already, he said. “Iyon pong final pieces of the puzzle so to speak para po lahat ay makapag-participate doon po sa aming first parliamentary elections.”

As of this date, the parliament has passed 444 resolutions. Of the figure, 58 have been signed into laws.

“We are now in the fifth year of the transition period,” Pendatun said.