The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said that it is pushing forward with its preparations for the October 13 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) saying it "cannot wait forever" for the actions of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).

In a forum, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said they have directed their Project Management Office (PMO) to begin their preparations with the seats to be elected set at 73, and without seven seats previously allocated for Sulu.

"As far as the Comelec is concerned, we will be preparing for the 73 seats. If we delay our preparations further while waiting for the 80 seats, we may run out of time," said Garcia.

"We have already given instructions to the PMO of the BPE to begin preparations for the 73 seats. It would be risky to just go on and wait for the 80 seats. What if there is none? We cannot wait forever," he added.

The exclusion of the Sulu province from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) by the Supreme Court was among the reasons for the postponement of the BPE from May 12 to October 13.

There is a need for the BTA to amend the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Districts Act of 2024 and decide what to do with the seven parliamentary seats originally allocated for Sulu.

Last week, the Comelec said it will be waiting for the BTA until May 30 to make a decision on what to do with the parliamentary seats previously assigned to Sulu.

The Commission has said the decision on the Sulu seats is crucial as it would determine if there is still a need to reopen filing of Certificates of Candidacy or not. DMS