The decision of the Supreme Court (SC) to exclude Sulu in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has caught the Commission on Elections off guard.

Late Monday, the Supreme Court upheld the validity of the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Bangsamoro Organic Law) but declared the province of Sulu not part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) after the province rejected the law’s ratification.

In an interview, Comelec chairman George Garcia said: "The Comelec is really surprised. We weren't expecting this kind of development."

"It poses a huge problem on the part of the Comelec because in our preparations in the system, operations, administrative plans, we had Sulu as part of the BARMM," said Garcia.

But Garcia said the Comelec is not considering postponing the first BARMM parliamentary elections on May 2025.

"At this point, in order to remove any uncertainties, we are announcing that the Comelec is hell bent on proceeding with the elections in Bangsamoro. We will endeavour at all cost to proceed with the elections in Bangsamoro," said the official.

He said this means that political aspirants from Sulu must continue their preparations in the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COCs).

He said the poll body will discuss how to adjust its plans considering the exclusion of Sulu in the BARMM.

"We have to make the necessary adjustments. Let's see what will be the adjustments of the Commission... The entire Commission en banc will be throughly discussing what we need to do," said Garcia. DMS