Poll reset ng BARMM, inaasahan ni Zubiri na magiging constitutional

Ni Ernie Reyes

Umaasa si Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri na maidedeklarang constitutional ang posisyon ng Senado na ipagpaliban   first regular elections sa Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Sa pahayag, sinabi ni Zubiri na umaasa ang Senado na titindig sa matibay na legal ground at hindi maibabasura ng Korte Supreme ang poll reset ng BARMM bilang unconstitutional.

Isinagawa ni Zubiri ang deklarasyon sa kanyang sponsorship ng Senate Bill No. 1823 na nagtatakda ng reset sa unang regular parliamentary election ng BARMM sa ikalawang Lunes ng Setyembre  na literal na inaamendahan ang Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). 

Tinugon ni Zubiri ang interpelasyon sa plenaryo na mawawalan nang kuwenta ang panukala kapag hinamo ang Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 86, ang batas na nagtatakda sa parliamentary district ng BARMM na naghiwalay sa Sulu mula sa rehiyon, kaya maaaring maideklarang unscontitutional.

“We will not be able to predict if someone will question this law and, of course, BAA 86. But I believe the Members of Parliament or the Bangsamoro Transition Authority were able to comply with the requirement of the Supreme Court to address the issues of unconstitutionality, particularly sa gerrymandering,” paliwanag ni Zubiri.

“Talagang tinanggal na po nila yung malalayong lugar at sinama na po nila ang mga districts na contiguous. So I trust the wisdom of this new BAA 86 to be compliant with the constitutional requirement brought about by the Supreme Court ruling,” dagdag niya.

BAA 77, the redistricting law before BAA 86, was earlier declared unconstitutional by the High Court that led to the cancellation of the BARMM parliamentary elections last Oct. 13, 2025. A lack of a valid districting law set off a scramble to address districting and election rules within the transition framework, paliwanag ni Zubiri.

Pinamumunuan ni Zubiri ang subcommittee sa ilalim ng Senate Committee on Local Government na duminig at nag-apruba sa SB 1823, na kinalap ang lahat ng stakeholders sa Bangsamoro region sa pagdinig na tumagal nang mahigit apat na oras.

Sinabi ni Zubiri na dumaan ang panukala sa masusing pagtitimbang sa usaping ng legalidad na kinalap ang ilang pinagpipitagang legal figures sa binagong Bangsamoro districting measure na nakatakda ngayon.

“As a matter of fact, we had several legal luminaries during the hearing. Andun po si Justice Azcuna. At si Justice Azcuna mismo nagsabi na with these discussions, this was during the end of the committee hearing after four hours of listening to both sides, nagsalita po siya na he feels it will be compliant,” ani Zubiri =.

“Of course, we cannot guess what the court will decide later on, if there will be someone who will be filing a question before the Supreme Court on this particular issue. But we feel in the committee that we are compliant with the constitutional issues addressed by the Supreme Court ruling,” giit ni Zubiri.