The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Friday that it has adopted the position paper of the Bangsamoro Elections Special Task Force (BEST Force), resolving key electoral mechanics issues ahead of the 2026 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections set on September 14.
In a memorandum dated April 15, 2026, the Commission approved the recommendations following concerns raised by stakeholders during a March 23, 2026 briefing.
The adopted measures clarify voting procedures, candidate limits, and ballot sequencing under recent amendments to Bangsamoro electoral laws.
*Voters to cast one vote per sectoral seat*
Under the new guidelines, each registered voter may cast one vote for every parliamentary sectoral representative seat.
The policy follows amendments to Section 17 of Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 35 under BAA No. 88, which removed provisions for special voter registration that would have identified voters’ sectoral affiliations.
The BEST Force said that without such registration, Comelec has no practical way to determine a voter’s sector, making any restriction on sector-based voting unworkable and potentially disenfranchising.
*One candidate per group in settler sector*
The Commission also clarified that although the settler communities sector is entitled to two representatives, only one candidate per accredited organization may be listed on the ballot.
This interpretation aligns with Section 9 of BAA No. 88, which states that only one candidate per accredited organization is allowed.
The BEST Force urged the recall of any earlier advisory suggesting otherwise, noting that administrative issuances cannot override or expand the law.
*Ballot order set*
Following amendments under BAA No. 88, the Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIP) sector will no longer be elected through direct plurality voting but via a sectoral assembly.
As a result, the remaining sectors will appear on the official ballot in this order: settler communities, women, youth, ‘ulama, and traditional leaders.
Comelec said the adopted recommendations will be integrated into voter education and public information campaigns to better guide voters and stakeholders in the run-up to the region’s first parliamentary elections.
