PATIKUL, SULU — With the proposed creation of seven parliamentary districts in Sulu province under Parliament Bill No. 267, Deputy Speaker Atty. Nabil Tan commits to ensuring all legislative input from the province reaches Parliament.
Highlighting the significance of the bill in shaping the landscape for the 2025 parliamentary elections, Deputy Speaker Tan echoed the sentiments of Sulu’s residents.
According to the 2020 census by the Philippine Statistics Authority, Sulu is home to 1,000,108 residents spread across 19 municipalities and 410 barangays.
Once enacted, PB No. 267 will create seven districts in Sulu, securing the province’s position as the second-highest contributor of apportioned parliamentary district seats in the BARMM.
The proposed seven districts are as follows: Jolo (capital), Hadji Panglima Tahil (Marunggas), and Pangutaran constitute the first; Indanan and Parang are the second; Maimbung and Talipao are the third; Old Panamao and Patikul are the fourth; Pata, Tapul, Panglima Estino (New Panamao), and Lugus are the fifth; Kalingalan Caluang, Luuk, Omar, and Tongkil are the sixth; and Siasi and Pandami are the seventh.
During the discussion, Governor Abdusakur Tan of Sulu, along with other local leaders and stakeholders, pushed for a more simplified election procedure for the 80-member Parliament in order to increase Bangsamoro participation.
Governor Tan asked the Parliament to enhance accessibility and broaden involvement, emphasizing that facilitating participation starts with making it easy for the Bangsamoro people.
He also emphasized the need for the Bangsamoro government to address Sulu’s concerns, urging frequent visits and consultations with the province.
Kerkhar Tan, mayor of Sulu’s capital municipality, proposes to have a lone district for Jolo. The proposed arrangement, he added, is to maximize the capacity of the leader representing them.
He emphasized that the current setup of the Bangsamoro government provides an opportunity to enhance the structure and provide improved representation.
Other stakeholders have also raised the need for further information dissemination campaigns among all the stakeholders in the upcoming electoral process.
Parliament Bill No. 267, introduced on December 7, seeks to establish 32 single-member parliamentary districts across the entire Bangsamoro region.
The bill specifies how districts will be distributed among provinces, ensuring that the Bangsamoro Organic Law’s population and geographical requirements are met.
According to the bill, the provinces of Basilan will have three districts: Sulu with seven, Tawi-Tawi with three, Lanao del Sur with eight, Maguindanao del Norte with four, Maguindanao del Sur with four, Cotabato City with two, and Special Geographic Area with one.
Under the BOL, each parliamentary district must meet the 100,000 minimum population requirement. The municipalities composing the district must be contiguous, compact, and adjacent to each other.
The Bangsamoro Parliament’s Rules Committee is set to conduct another round of public consultations on January 30, specifically focusing on Sulu’s second district stakeholders. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)