UNDER the watchful eyes of international and local observers, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will hold its first parliamentary elections today, the fulfillment of several decades of peace process that spanned several administrations.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has declared all polling centers in BARMM ready for the historic electoral exercise.
Regional election supervisors confirmed on Sunday that vote-counting machines (VCMs), official ballots, indelible ink, and accountable forms have reached municipal treasuries and voting centers across Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Special Geographic Area (SGA) clusters, and Cotabato City.
Comelec provincial and municipal officers completed the final testing and sealing (FTS) of VCMs over the weekend, ironing out technical glitches and ensuring that transmission mock-ups worked seamlessly.
Over 2.39 million voters are expected to cast their ballots, with early voting from 5.a.m. for seniors, PWDs and pregnant voters, and the regular voting hours from 7 a.m. to 7p.m.
In Central Mindanao, localized election committees have set up public assistance desks and voter registration verification booths outside school compounds and public gymnasiums designated as voting centers.
The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and other accredited local watchdog groups have fielded thousands of volunteers to assist the electorate and monitor more than 1,100 polling centers in the region.
Contingents from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have set up a tight security perimeter around voting hubs to avert potential disruption or intimidation.
Police Regional Office-BARMM and the 6th Infantry Division have locked down designated “areas of concern,” deploying rapid-response teams, mobile patrols, and checkpoint details while strictly enforcing the regional election gun ban.
Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Interim Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim urged constituents in Central Mindanao to vote peacefully and protect the democratic foundations built through the decades-long peace process.
International monitors from 16 organizations and domestic election observation missions have fanned out in Cotabato City and neighboring municipalities to observe the opening of precincts and the handling of ballots.
Public school teachers serving as members of the Electoral Boards have undergone final briefings on emergency troubleshooting procedures, ensuring that minor technical snags will not interrupt voting hours.
Health and rescue units from the Bangsamoro Rapid Emergency Action and Disaster Response (Readi) have been stationed near major voting clusters to provide immediate medical assistance to senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities.
Telecommunication providers in Central Mindanao have placed cell sites and backup satellite links on high alert to prevent network congestion or deliberate signal tampering during the transmission of results.
The election caps seven years of interim rule by the Transition Authority (BTA) over the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, including the cities of Marawi, Cotrabato and Lamitan, plus the eight-town Special Geographic Area (SGA).
At stake are 80 seats in the regular BARMM Parliament.
The Comelec expected a 70 percent to 80 percent voter turnout. Comelec-BARMM Director Ray Sumalipao told The Manila Times on Sunday he based his forecast on the “excitement” of voters to finally choose their Parliament members.
The election is considered the final political track of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB), which encourages the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to lead the transition governance with the participation of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), which in 1976 signed the Tripoli Agreement with the government with the mediation of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), and the 1996 Final Peace Agreement.
The inclusivity clause also mandates the participation of other sectors, including non-Moros.
A credible election could normalize politics in BARMM, help reduce clannish or dynastic violence, attract investments, and fully implement the CAB-mandated decommissioning of MILF’s former combatants.
Some Bangsamoro lawmakers are reportedly keen on pushing for the return of Sulu via legislation.
For Sen. Migs Zubiri, the principal author of the BOL, another challenge faces the BARMM people in a test to ensure that their mandate “will not be wasted on politics or personal interests.”
The MILF’s United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) and the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP), which the Comelec considers as the two dominant political parties, held separate final grand rallies on Saturday.
The military has reportedly deployed some 11,000 troops backed by tanks and artillery to help secure the election.
Keep polls peaceful
Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento on Sunday appealed to “all candidates, parties and supporters to honor the will of the people and to keep tomorrow’s elections safe, peaceful and credible.”
Sarmiento said that, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared, the people’s participation in the electoral process is “the clearest sign that they have [taken] the path of choosing the political process over picking up their weapons to bring peace and, hopefully, progress to the region.”
Datu Michael Mastura, a former senior member of the MILF panel in peace negotiations with the government, lauded the group’s participation in the historic election.
“The important thing is that they (MILF) are seeking legitimacy. So, let us welcome them to the electoral process,” Mastura said in an interview.
Malacañang said that under the Marcos Jr. administration, the government has sought to advance both the political and normalization tracks of the Bangsamoro peace process, including the transition of the MILF from a revolutionary organization into an active participant in parliamentary democracy.
The president declared Sept. 14 a special non-working day throughout BARMM to give Bangsamoro voters the opportunity to fully participate in the historic electoral exercise.
“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,” he said.
On Sunday, Sarmiento welcomed the observers, saying that their presence reinforces global confidence in the Bangsamoro peace process and the credibility of the polls.
Among the participating foreign delegations are the embassies of Palestine, China, Australia and Japan, including the Asia Foundation, the European Union-Coordinated Diplomacy, and the International Republican Institute.
The biggest delegation is the Asian Network for Free Elections (Anfrel) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), with 22 participants.
Senators Zubiri and Francis Pangilinan on Sunday called for peaceful, orderly and credible elections.
In a statement, Zubiri expressed high expectations for the outcome of the region’s first regular parliamentary election.
“I welcome this historic moment with hope that the Bangsamoro people will finally be able to choose their leaders through a peaceful, orderly and credible democratic process,” he said.
Zubiri urged all candidates, supporters and political groups to exercise restraint, respect the democratic process, and reject violence, intimidation and any effort to undermine the will of voters.
“The Bangsamoro peace process has come a long way. Let us protect those gains by allowing the people to choose their leaders in peace, and by respecting the voice of the electorate once the votes are counted,” he said.
Pangilinan echoed the sentiment, saying he is concerned about reports of gun violence and escalating tensions just days before the polls.
He described the maiden parliamentary polls as a historic moment for the Moro people, who will elect representatives after decades of struggle for dignity, self-determination and peace.
He said that millions in the region have endured years of conflict, displacement, grief, and sacrifice to reach this point.
“This election offers a path where the voice of the people can be heard — not through the crack of gunfire, but through the free and equal exercise of their rights as citizens,” Pangilinan said.
