THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) cast doubts on Tuesday over whether the Philippines can realistically hold the first-ever Bangsamoro parliamentary elections by March 30, citing unresolved legal questions and tightening operational timelines linked to districting rules and pending legislation.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia told reporters over Viber that the poll body was “confronted with strong legal and operational issues” affecting the feasibility of the scheduled elections, even as it welcomed the Bangsamoro Parliament’s recent passage of a long-delayed electoral measure.

“We are now confronted with strong legal and operational issues as to whether the conduct of the first Bangsamoro parliamentary election is still feasible by March 30,” Mr. Garcia said.

“Since there is no law yet fixing the date of the election, at this point, the same is still a question mark.”

Mr. Garcia said that Comelec had earlier fixed March 30 as the election date pursuant to existing mandates, but the newly passed Bangsamoro districting law — once signed and made effective — could collide directly with that prohibition.

“The Supreme Court clearly emphasized that there should be no redistricting 120 days before the election. Since as mandated by the decision, we fixed the date of election on March 30, 2026, this will now run contrary to the prohibition mentioned and the provision of the law,” Mr. Garcia said.

Asked directly whether the election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) could be postponed again, Mr. Garcia said it was too early to give a definitive answer.

“We are not yet prepared to answer that question this early,” he said. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking

GOVERNMENT asset recovery efforts will remain operational despite uncertainty over the possible closure of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), officials said on Tuesday, as the ICI-Technical Working Group (TWG) resumed its meetings.

ICI Special Adviser and lead investigator Rodolfo S. Azurin, Jr. said the TWG is expected to “survive” regardless of the future structure of the ICI, as inter-agency coordination will remain critical, particularly when cases are referred to the Office of the Ombudsman.

“I think so. Definitely. Because if you look at it, with or without the ICI, when a case is referred to the Ombudsman, it’s like a switch, like a trigger,” Mr. Azurin told a press briefing.

“For the government agencies assisting the ICI, we advise everyone to keep working so that we can deliver the results expected by the public, including the recovered assets that may form part of our investigations,” he added.

Chris Noel A. Bendijo, deputy chief of staff at the Bureau of Customs (BoC), added that the resignation of two commissioners has not affected TWG operations. He credited the systematic and well-defined framework under the chairmanship of Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center Undersecretary Renato “Aboy” A. Paraiso, for ensuring asset recovery work remains “ongoing and functional.”

“Each agency clearly defines its role in asset recovery. Even in the absence of two commissioners at ICI, the work of TWG continues,” Mr. Bendijo said. He also noted that memoranda of agreement among agencies are being finalized, alongside the development of a centralized database and framework agreement to prevent duplication and resolve jurisdictional conflicts.

Mr. Bendijo said the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) has so far frozen P21.2 billion in assets — including bank accounts, e-wallets, insurance policies, motor vehicles, and air assets — linked to the personalities involved in the ongoing flood control investigation.

“To be very clear with the figures, we will create a master list of these assets, including those sold at auction and those subject to forfeiture, such as those currently held by the ICI,” he explained.

Currently, eight vehicles are in the custody of the ICI compound allegedly linked to former lawmaker Elizaldy S. Co. These seized vehicles are also part of asset recovery and ongoing investigations, according to Mr. Azurin.

“Through this detailed search, we may be able to determine whether items were misclassified, misdeclared, or if different import entries were used with varying declarations,” Mr. Bendijo added. “Again that will be determined, that’s ongoing work for now.”

The meeting on Tuesday was attended by representatives from the AMLC, Armed Forces of the Philippines, BoC, Bureau of Immigration, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Justice, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Office of the Ombudsman, and the Philippine National Police — Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, among others.

In a statement, the ICI said the agencies also discussed the development of the Asset Recovery Coordination and Management Dashboard System, a platform designed to consolidate information on assets subject to recovery, focusing on properties owned by individuals and entities with pending court cases, as well as those referred by the ICI and DPWH.

Agencies with regulatory or supervisory authority over monetary, real estate, and movable assets will be integrated into the dashboard to ensure alignment on frozen or recovered assets. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking

FORMER Bulacan 1^st District Engineering Office Engineer Henry C. Alcantara has categorically denied claims that he recanted prior statements made during Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings, his legal counsel confirmed on Tuesday.

In a statement issued by Atty. Emil Karlo L. Joven of ELJ Law Office, Mr. Alcantara’s legal counsel described recent reports circulating on social media and some news outlets as “categorically false and misleading.”

The statement, forwarded to reporters, maintained that Mr. Alcantara remains fully committed to cooperating with the Department of Justice (DoJ) as part of his participation in the Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Program. It added that his participation follows a Memorandum of Agreement with the DoJ, which serves as a prerequisite for regular admission into the program.

“In short, Engr. Alcantara is not recanting his prior statements,” Mr. Joven said. The lawyer further stressed that evaluation of Mr. Alcantara’s statements, alongside those of other parties in related cases, is a matter solely for the state prosecutors, in accordance with law and procedure.

“The general public must remain vigilant and should obtain information only from verified, identifiable, and reliable sources. Any information coming from sources other than the Department of Justice or from the undersigned should be treated with caution for potential inaccuracy,” he added.

Mr. Alcantara was also spotted at the DoJ on Tuesday for matters relating to the witness protection program, according to Justice department spokesman Raphael Niccolo L. Martinez. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking