COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — All eyes will be on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Monday, as 2.39 million voters head to 1,186 voting centers to elect the region’s first regular parliament—a landmark vote meant to turn a hard-won peace agreement into democratic self-rule.
The Sept. 14 elections will complete the political track of the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, which ended the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) campaign for a separate state and paved the way for greater autonomy.
At least 108 international observers from 16 organizations and diplomatic delegations have been deployed, underscoring the global interest in the Bangsamoro peace process and its transition to elected government.
READ: What to know about BARMM’s first parliamentary elections
Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento said the presence of foreign monitors reflects the international community’s sustained interest in the peace process, describing it as “a clear vote of confidence in the electoral process.”
The international community played a major role in forging the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in 2014, after 17 years of negotiations of which some 10 years were under Malaysian facilitation.
The international election observers are expected to make the rounds in the regional seat of Cotabato City, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, the Special Geographic Area, Marawi City in Lanao del Sur, Lamitan and Isabela cities in Basilan, Bongao in Tawi-Tawi, and Zamboanga City.
READ: BARMM chief urges voters to take part in historic polls
Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia said their presence could help protect electoral integrity and build public trust.“We want to show the whole world that the Bangsamoro elections are different,” Garcia said.
In a statement, the United Nations said the elections are a “crucial step” toward lasting peace and democratic self-governance, as it urged stakeholders to remain committed to dialogue and peaceful resolution of differences.
Successful polls and effective follow-up, it said, would strengthen public trust and consolidate peace.
The UN also commended the people of BARMM, national and regional authorities, the MILF, electoral institutions and all partners who have contributed to preparations for this historic process.
“As the people of BARMM get ready to cast their votes, the United Nations encourages all stakeholders to continue working together to ensure that the elections are conducted in a peaceful, credible and inclusive manner,” said the international body, an active partner in the Mindanao peace and development programs.
In keeping with the 2014 peace deal, the MILF had transformed into a social movement, set out the decommissioning of its combatant forces and their weapons, and formed a political party through which it works to achieve its revolutionary aspirations.Its United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) has a dominant presence in the various races for seats in the first parliament that will hold office from Oct. 31 this year to June 30, 2031, or nearly five years. The succeeding parliaments will hold office for just three years.
Democratic campaign
BARMM interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua described the polls as the formal transition from an appointed interim government to one whose leaders derive their mandate from voters.
“As enshrined in the BOL (Bangsamoro Organic Law), this election marks the full exercise of the people’s sovereign will—the formal transition from an interim government to a democratically elected parliament,” Macacua said on Sunday.
MILF chair Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim said the Bangsamoro had transformed its struggle from an armed campaign into a peaceful and democratic one.
“The Bangsamoro region is entering a crucial period in our struggle; we have transformed from an armed struggle to a peaceful and democratic struggle,” Ebrahim said.
“It is important that every Bangsamoro should never forget the hard work of the people who gave up their lives to achieve our right to self-determination,” he added.
Unfinished peace process
The first parliament will have 80 members. Voters will choose one regional party, one district representative and six sectoral representatives. Party seats will be allocated according to each party’s share of the valid vote.
The BARMM was created under Republic Act No. 11054, or the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
The stakes are high in a region shaped by decades of conflict that left communities impoverished and deepened political divisions rooted in land, resources, clans and patronage.
Yet the peace process remains unfinished. The decommissioning of MILF fighters remains stalled, while commitments on former rebel camps, transitional justice and amnesty have seen limited progress.
The four-decade secessionist struggle claimed some 120,000 lives and confined the southern region to underdevelopment.
“The time has now come for the people to establish and own the government they rightfully deserve,” Sarmiento said on the eve of the polls, urging every registered voter to participate.
“Each ballot cast is a vote for the future of the region, and a peaceful yet powerful affirmation of their determination to chart the sociopolitical and socioeconomic future of the BARMM,” he added.
Hot spots identified
The Armed Forces of the Philippines has deployed about 11,000 troops, while the Philippine National Police is mobilizing about 10,500 personnel.
Police units in BARMM and neighboring regions have been placed on full alert until Sept. 30.
AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Antonio Nafarrete reiterated their commitment to free, peaceful and safe conduct of the elections.
Comelec has identified 90 localities with potential for election-related violence, 26 of them at high risk.But the unprecedented security presence has itself become a concern.
Peace coalition Duyog Bangsamoro warned that the heavy deployment of armed troops and military equipment could create fear and anxiety among voters and suppress turnout.
The group described the presence of heavily armed soldiers an “overkill,” warning that low turnout caused by fear could undermine the elections and cast doubt on the promise of the peace process.
It urged the MILF and its commanders to avoid violence regardless of whether the UBJP wins or loses.
Maureen Lacuesta, program manager of watchdog Climate and Conflict Action Asia (CCAA), said most of the violence since May 5 were concentrated in the two Maguindanao provinces, Lanao del Sur and the Special Geographic Area (SGA).
While most red areas are in Lanao del Sur, CCAA’s Early Response Network flagged Maguindanao del Sur, Cotabato City and SGA as key pressure sites. These are where the UBJP and its closest rival, Bangsamoro Federalist Party—also founded by MILF personalities—are locked in a tight race and MILF base commands are present.
“This is the largest deployment of security forces to the region in recent election history,” said Leizl Bugtay, CCAA deputy executive director, referring to some 11,000 soldiers and 9,000 police personnel temporarily stationed in BARMM.
On Sunday, the PNP said the security situation remained generally calm, with no serious threats monitored.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said deployed personnel must remain impartial. “The campaign is over. Now the attention should be on the voters.”
Automated count
Voting starts at 5 a.m. for voters with special needs like the elderly, persons with disabilities and pregnant women.
Regular polling will run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with automated counting machines transmitting results to canvassing servers.
Garcia said district winners could be known about an hour after polls close, with proclamations targeted by Sept. 15.
More than 800 public school teachers designated as electoral board members withdrew, mostly in Maguindanao del Sur, citing conflicts involving relatives running for parliamentary seats. Police trained in poll management will take their places.
Garcia said 137 teachers from Cotabato City did not show up during the final testing and sealing of ACMs on Saturday. The others were from Lanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi and the SGA.
“They have various reasons, mostly due to having relatives as candidates in parliamentary districts,” Garcia explained.
Last-minute cancellations
On Sunday, Comelec issued a writ of execution canceling the registration of Moro Ako Party and the candidacy of Maguindanao del Sur district bet Anwar Salipada Alamada.
All votes cast for Moro Ako and Alamada will be treated as stray.
The poll body said the cancellations became final after it denied motions for reconsideration on Aug. 27 and issued a Certificate of
Finality and Entry of Judgment on Sept. 7, with no temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court.
Media security
The Presidential Task Force on Media Security will establish media monitoring centers in Cotabato City and Marawi City.
PTFoMS executive director Undersecretary Jose Torres Jr. said threats, harassment and safety concerns involving journalists would be addressed immediately, stressing that media safety was essential to preserving public access to accurate and independent information.
Monday’s vote is a test of whether the Bangsamoro region that was shaped by armed conflict can sustain democratic competition and deepen self-rule. —With reports from Cong Corrales, Taher Solaiman, Ryan Rosauro, Dianne Sampang, Associated Press, and Agence France-Presse
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