Manila: The Philippine Supreme Court has declared Bangsamoro Autonomy Acts 58 and 77 unconstitutional, leading to the postponement of the first parliamentary elections in Muslim Mindanao, initially set for October 13.

According to Anadolu Agency, the court's decision ruled against the laws passed by the autonomous authority that sought to establish parliamentary districts in the region. Consequently, the Commission on Elections has been ordered to conduct the elections by March 31, 2026.

The election was initially scheduled for 2022 but had been postponed to May 11 this year, then rescheduled for October, and has now been delayed once more. The postponement marks the third time the elections have been deferred, raising concerns among residents and political observers.

In January 2019, a referendum led to the approval of the "Bangsamoro Organic Law," which officially established the "Bangsamoro Transition Authority" in the region. This development followed decades of resistance by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), led by Haji Murad Ebrahim.

Under the new political structure, Ebrahim was appointed as interim chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) by then-President Rodrigo Duterte in February 2019. Earlier this year, the leadership saw a change as Abdulraof Macacua took over from Ebrahim.

The Bangsamoro region, home to around 5 million people, predominantly comprises Muslims, making the establishment of a functional and autonomous government critically significant for its residents.