Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Wednesday that there is no existing law to implement following the Supreme Court's (SC) decision to declare the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 58 and BAA No. 77 as unconstitutional. This verdict leaves Comelec with no legal framework to conduct the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections (BPE), originally scheduled for this month.

According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia expressed that the commission has returned to the starting point in terms of election preparations. "Now, it is very clear that we have no law to enforce. It's back to zero for Comelec," Garcia stated. He emphasized that the responsibility now lies with the Bangsamoro Parliament, from whom they await further actions and compliance following the court's decision.

The Supreme Court's ruling impacts two crucial pieces of legislation: BAA 77, known as the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Redistricting Act of 2025, which aimed to redistribute seven seats initially designated for Sulu, and BAA 58, which established parliamentary districts within the region. Additionally, the court mandated that the BPE should take place no later than March 31, 2026, altering the original planned date of October 13, 2025.