MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared September 14, 2026, as a special non-working day in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) for the first parliamentary elections in the region.
This is in line with Proclamation No. 1395, signed by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto on August 18, which authorizes the President to allow BARMM residents to exercise their right to vote in the elections.
“WHEREAS, in order to give the people of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao the opportunity to actively and fully participate in the election and exercise their right to vote, it is fitting and proper to declare Monday, 14 September 2026, as a special (non-working) day,” the proclamation said.
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The Republic Act (RA) No. 12317, amending Section 13, Article XVI of the RA No. 11054, rescheduled the first parliamentary polls to September 14, 2026, after being postponed four times already.
The Malacañang on Monday affirmed that the elections will push through as scheduled despite the recent ambush on Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said that the incident “will not prevent the continued pursuit of change toward establishing a democratic government in the BARMM communities.”
The ambush occurred hours after Macacua was selected to lead a newly-formed regional party vying for seats in the upcoming polls.
The Commission on Elections also reaffirmed that the elections will push through, citing its unhampered preparations. The Philippine National Police earlier said it deployed a total of 8,299 personnel to conduct the parliamentary elections.
The first parliamentary elections will fill the 80-seat parliament, with 40 seats allotted to political parties, 32 to district representatives, and 8 to sectoral organizations. /mr
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