The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the lawmaking body of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), began Wednesday a series of public consultations for a bill that will create parliamentary districts for the 2025 regional elections.

Lawyer Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba, BARMM parliament floor leader and Committee on Rules chairperson, led the public consultation of Parliament Bill 267 in Cotabato City, Maguindanao del Sur, and Maguindanao del Norte.

“Next venues are in Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi,” she said in an interview with reporters.

Alba, also BARMM interior minister, said the absence of established parliamentary districts is a major challenge to the region’s first electoral process.

As stipulated in the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the first regular election for the BARMM, initially set for 2022, will be held simultaneously with the 2025 national and local elections.

Under the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, the 2025 parliament will be composed of 80 members, consisting of 40 party representatives, 32 district representatives, and eight sectoral representatives.

Currently, the BTA, headed by Speaker Pangalian Balindong, has 80 members appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Aug. 12, 2022. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) dominates the new composition of BTA, with 41 nominees and 39 from the government.

Introduced by BARMM interim Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim and backed by his cabinet ministers who are also members of the parliament, the bill aims to delineate the composition of the 32-member parliamentary districts across provinces, cities, municipalities, and the special geographic area (SGA) in the region.

The bill proposes the creation of districts in various provinces and cities, including three in Basilan, seven in Sulu, three in Tawi-Tawi, eight in Lanao del Sur, four in Maguindanao del Norte, four in Maguindanao del Sur, two in Cotabato City, and one in the SGA composed of 63 villages in North Cotabato province.

However, Cotabato City and SGA stakeholders want another legislative as the basic requirement on population was met.

BARMM records indicated that the SGA has more than 200,000 inhabitants, while Cotabato City has 325,000 residents.

Alba said all the inputs will be considered during the plenary deliberation. (PNA)