BARMM proposes 32 single-member parliamentary districts

‘Lanao del Sur to get 8 seats, Sulu 7 seats, Maguindanao del Sur 4, Basilan 3’

 COTABATO CITY — A law was introduced that would define the constituencies of the 32 single-member parliamentary districts in the Bangsamoro autonomous region, which is crucial in preparation for the first parliamentary elections in 2025.

The Parliament Bill No. 267, filed by the Government of the Day, aims to ensure equitable representation among the 4.9 million Bangsamoro constituents. Of the 80 members of the Bangsamoro Parliament, 40% are district representatives.
 
The proposed bill will create 32 parliamentary districts in the region, representing an equitable distribution across provinces, cities, municipalities, and geographical areas.
 
Outlined in the bill are specifics regarding the distribution of these districts: 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 Special Geographic Area - the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) approved Parliament Bills Nos. 129 to 136 creating eight new towns in the Special Geographic Area - Pahamuddin, Kadayangan, Nabalawag, Old Kaabakan, Kapalawan, Malidegao, Tugunan, and Ligawasan.
 
The BTA, under the Bangsamoro Organic Law, has been granted the authority to reconstitute parliamentary districts to guarantee equitable representation, allowing for redistricting, merging, or creating districts based on population and geographical considerations.
 
Each district will have at least 100,000 residents and will be designed to be contiguous, compact, and adjacent. The distribution of districts will be based on both population and geographical area.
 
District representatives will be elected through a direct majority vote by registered voters in their respective parliamentary districts, allowing independent candidates to participate, provided they are registered voters in the district and have resided there for at least one year preceding the election.
 
In the 2025 elections, the Bangsamoro people will exercise their voting power to choose leaders who will represent them in the 80-member Parliament which is composed of 50% party representatives (40 members), 40% district representatives (32 members), and 10% sectoral representatives (eight members).
 
The BOL states that members of Parliament will serve three-year terms, with a limit of three consecutive terms. A voluntary renunciation or dissolution of the Parliament by the Wali will not interrupt the continuity of service for the full term. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)