The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday announced there is insufficient time to conduct a plebiscite in Sulu should the proposal to incorporate the province into the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) be enacted into law.
“The plebiscite for the inclusion of Sulu is no longer feasible. Should this initiative proceed, the parliament will partition the seven areas into distinct districts, as there is a desire for Sulu to rejoin the region. This situation is somewhat intricate and entails a lengthy procedure,” Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said.
The poll chief assured stakeholders they would comply with the decision of the lawmakers regarding the proposal.
“There’s currently a hearing in the Senate regarding the proposal to include that in Sulu again, followed by a plebiscite… As for us, whatever the decision of the Congress will be, we will comply. If that becomes a law, the decision is up to the people,” Garcia said.
Senate Bill 2915 seeking to include the province of Sulu in BARMM was filed by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri last month. Once approved, a plebiscite will be conducted in the province to ratify its inclusion in the BARMM.
On Sept. 9, 2024, the Supreme Court made a significant ruling excluding Sulu province from BARMM, a decision that was reaffirmed in November 2024.
The Court maintained that Republic Act 11054, also known as the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), is valid, clarifying that it does not establish BARMM as a separate state from the Philippines.
