Preparations for BARMM, BSKE polls in full blast

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PREPARATIONS for the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE) are in full blast despite challenges, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that they expect to fully complete the source code for the BARMM and to be followed by the trusted build process to be spearheaded by the US-based international certification company Pro V&V Inc.

“Our preparations are in full blast. After the source code and trusted build, we will do the field testing of the machines in a mock election. We are also finalizing our data, including the list of voters in the BARMM,” added Garcia.

The source code is basically an independent auditor to ensure that the system is running free from possible malicious lines. It is the human-readable version of the election management system (EMS) customized to Philippine elections that would be installed in the ACMs. 

The trusted build, on the other hand, is defined as “the process whereby the source code is converted to machine-readable binary instructions (executable code) for the computer. It is performed with adequate security measures implemented to give confidence that the executable code is a verifiable and faithful representation of the source code.”

Garcia also assured that the first-ever parliamentary BARMM polls will proceed as scheduled on Oct. 13 despite questions raised by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) on the still unallocated seven parliamentary seats for Sulu, which the Supreme Court has declared as not part of BARMM after the province rejected the ratification of Republic Act 11051 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

The Supreme Court ruling necessitated the redistribution of the seven seats originally allocated to Sulu under the Bangsamoro Electoral Code.

The poll chief admitted that the MNLF’s concern is valid because the MNLF, which is based in Sulu, was instrumental in the creation of the BARMM and with the exclusion of Sulu, it would deny them representation in the BARMM parliament.

Garcia said that the commission has to proceed with their preparations for the BARMM parliamentary polls even with just 73 parliamentary seats up for grabs, instead of 80, even as he assured that the poll body is ready to respond to any developments related to the redistribution of the seven parliamentary seats that were originally allocated for Sulu.

Commissioner Aimee Ferolino, chairman of the Comelec Gun Ban and Security Concerns Committee, said that security preparations were also proceeding with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

Ferolino expressed confidence that the BARMM polls would be peaceful, adding that the commission is also considering lifting the Comelec control over Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur and Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, for the regional elections.

The two municipalities were placed under Comelec control during the May 2025 midterm polls. It remains in effect because the coming BARMM elections are an extension of the last May elections.

As for the BSKE, Garcia said that preparations were also in full blast because until now there is no law postponing or resetting the scheduled Dec. 1 village and youth polls extending the bill the terms of the current village and youth officials.

“Along with the full-blast preparations for BARMM, preparations for the BSKE are also in full blast because until now there is no law that will postpone the BSKE. We may run out of time in our preparations if the expected postponement of the BSKE does not happen,” the poll chief explained.

But Garcia also said that Comelec has also made some adjustments in the preparation of election materials to ensure that if the BSKE is postponed, said materials can still be used.According to Garcia, the En Banc has agreed not to place the date in all election forms, like the official ballots, statement of votes, election returns and minutes of voting, so that they can still be used if the Dec. 1 village and youth polls do not push through.