The Bangsamoro Parliament on Wednesday cleared two election measures designed to firm up the rules for the region’s first parliamentary polls, scrapping the “None of the Above” (NOTA) option from official ballots and revising key election provisions.
Lawmakers approved on final reading Parliament Bill No. 396, which removes NOTA, alongside Parliament Bill No. 419, a measure introducing wide-ranging amendments to the Bangsamoro Electoral Code on political parties, representation, and sectoral seats.
Voting on the measures showed strong support, with the NOTA bill passing by a wide margin and the electoral code amendments also securing majority backing, with no abstentions recorded in either vote.
Both bills amend Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 35 and were earlier certified as urgent by Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, allowing lawmakers to fast-track their approval.
Under the changes, ballots in the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections will now display only the names of candidates and party logos, a move intended to prevent scenarios in which parliamentary seats could be left vacant.
The revised electoral code also tightens and updates rules for political parties, lowering the membership requirement for regional parties, requiring fresh accreditation for groups seeking to join the polls, and easing the vote threshold needed to secure parliamentary seats.
Lawmakers said the amendments also clarify sectoral representation and the status of sitting Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) members running for office, completing major adjustments to the electoral framework ahead of the repeatedly delayed parliamentary elections.
