Philippines BARMM votes: 13 parties battle for power in historic poll

Manila: Peace dividends are expected to be reaped from Monday's parliamentary elections of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), potentially unlocking critical political, economic, and social benefits following decades of conflict that drove investments and jobs away.

Thirteen (13) parties are vying for seats in the BARMM parliamentary elections, the first regular balloting on Monday (September 14).

It also marks the culmination of various initiatives by administrations past and present, with President Marcos Jr driving the political track of the peace process.

It also marks 50 years after the signing of the historic Tripoli Agreement.

“That is a good sign that we are finally realizing that a party system can work,” said Datu Michael O. Mastura, a former senior member of the MILF panel in peace negotiations with the government.

The democratic exercise formalises the conversion of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) from a revolutionary organisation into an active democratic participant.

Seeing former secessionist combatants campaign for legislative seats rather than engage in armed struggle solidifies the political track of the peace process.

Democratic self-governance

The key significance of the election is the transition of the BARMM from an appointive interim body — the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) — to a fully elected 80-member regular parliament.

This validates the regional push for genuine self-determination and political autonomy.

What to know:

• First-ever BARMM parliamentary elections are being held Monday (Sept. 14, 2026), marking a major step towards elected self-government in the Bangsamoro region.

• 80 seats are up for grabs:

  - 40 regional parliamentary party seats

  - 32 district representatives

  - 8 sectoral representatives

• 2,393,202 registered voters are eligible to vote.

• Each voter will choose:

  - 1 district representative

  - 1 parliamentary political party

  - 6 parliamentary sectoral organisations representing settlers, women, youth, ulama and traditional leaders.

• Voting hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; early voting for senior citizens, pregnant women and persons with disabilities runs from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.

• Automated counting machines (ACMs) used in the May 2025 midterm elections will be deployed.

• Comelec Chair George Garcia described the election as a continuation of the Bangsamoro struggle for self-government, identity and self-determination through the peace process.

• PPCRV is deploying about 4,000 volunteers, including around 1,000 for an unofficial parallel count.

• The PPCRV parallel count is scheduled for Sept. 17–22.

• Vote-buying allegation: Comelec’s Kontra Bigay committee ordered former Comelec chair and parliamentary candidate Sheriff Abas to explain a social-media post allegedly showing advance vote-buying involving his sample ballot and three ₱1,000 bills.

• Abas has 24 hours, non-extendible, from receipt of the Sept. 12 show-cause order to respond.

Mastura welcomed and lauded the MILF’s participation in the historic parliamentary elections.

“The important thing is that they (MILF) are seeking legitimacy. So, let us welcome them to the electoral process,” Mastura said in an interview published by the Presidential Communications Office.

Mastura represented Maguindanao and Cotabato City in Congress from 1987 to 1995.

“They have to know how to transition from an armed conflict group to a party seeking seats in a parliament, in a voting-rights way,” said Mastura, a former deputy minister for the Office of Muslim Affairs.

“I am very happy that they have accepted it. Finally, we have the go-signal on Monday, Sept. 14,” said Mastura, a senior political leader who also served as a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention.

Mastura said having 13 political parties running for parliamentary posts was  “a good sign that we are finally realising that a party system can work.”

“Voting will be done to select parties that will have seats in the parliament. The more seats you have, the more you will be qualified to form the government of the day. I think the way is a coalition government,” Mastura added.

The September 14 elections represent a major milestone in a peace process spanning half a century of negotiations, armed conflict, political upheavals and constitutional challenges in the search for a peaceful settlement of the Moro struggle.

Surge in Local Investments expected

A stabilised political landscape immediately boosts investor confidence.

As highlighted by the Bangsamoro Board of Investments (BBOI), multi-billion peso investments have already begun entering the region, paving the way for thousands of new local jobs in tourism, agriculture, and healthcare.

Global Economic Partnerships

A credible democratic environment acts as a green light for international funding and trade.

Global actors — including Japan, the European Union, Gulf states, and various Muslim-majority countries — have expressed explicit intent to scale up investments in the region once governance stability is secure.

The President also declared September 14 a special non-working day throughout BARMM to give Bangsamoro voters the opportunity to fully participate in the historic electoral exercise.

During the opening of the 2026 National Peace Consciousness Month, President Marcos underscored that the election represents an opportunity to consolidate decades of peace gains through democratic institutions.

“Let this election show that the future of the Bangsamoro is shaped by the people themselves: through your voices, your choices, and your hopes for your respective communities,” President Marcos said. 

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s sustained implementation of the Bangsamoro peace agreements, from amnesty and normalisation of ex-combatants to strengthening BARMM autonomy and preparing for its first regular parliamentary elections, has helped pave the way for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to complete its historic transition from armed struggle to democratic political participation.

Mastura said the significance of the BARMM elections goes beyond institutionalising a parliament and ushering in new political leadership in the autonomous region.

“We should use these (BARMM elections) as a reform movement. We are moving into a system that will discourage one-man rule. In exchange, we have the assembly or parliament. We would like to see a strong bureaucracy, coupled with a strong party system,” the Muslim scholar said.

“Voting will be done to select parties that will have seats in the parliament. The more seats you have, the more you will be qualified to form the government of the day. I think the way is a coalition government,” Mastura added.

The September 14 elections represent a major milestone in a peace process spanning half a century of negotiations, armed conflict, political upheavals and constitutional challenges in the search for a peaceful settlement of the Moro struggle.

The Tripoli Agreement was signed on December 23, 1976, during the administration of then-President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., with Libya and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation helping facilitate negotiations between the Philippine government and the MNLF.

The process subsequently led to the 1996 Final Peace Agreement between the government and the MNLF during the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos, while separate negotiations with the MILF culminated in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in 2014 and eventually the establishment of BARMM.

Under the administration of President Marcos Jr., the national government has sought to advance both the political and normalisation tracks of the Bangsamoro peace process, including the transition of the MILF from a revolutionary organization into an active participant in parliamentary democracy.

President Marcos has also ordered security and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the September 14 elections are peaceful, orderly, free and credible.

He authorised the deputation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and other government agencies to assist the Commission on Elections (Comelec).