Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is exploring the option of transitioning to a manual voting system for the March 2026 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE). "In compliance with the Supreme Court's decision that an election must be held by March 31, 2026, we are currently studying whether manual elections is possible to do," stated Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.

According to Philippines News Agency, the first-ever BPE was originally scheduled for October 13 but was postponed following a Supreme Court ruling. The court declared unconstitutional the redistricting laws enacted by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), which were intended to guide the elections. The ruling mandates the BTA to draft a new districting law by October 30, 2025, thereby delaying the elections until a constitutionally compliant framework is established.

Laudiangco noted that if time constraints become an issue, the Comelec may consider rescheduling the BPE. "In case we really run out of time, the Comelec may postpone the election for a brief period, in accordance with Section 5 of the Omnibus Election Code," he explained. This section allows the Comelec to postpone elections to a date reasonably close to the original, in cases of violence, terrorism, or other significant disruptions.