Imee backs BARMM elections

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Senator Imee Marcos, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation, has thrown her full support behind the call of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Vice Chairman Mohagher Iqbal to push through with the long-overdue parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Iqbal, one of the key architects of the peace process with the Philippine government, urged Malacañang on Thursday to honor the 13 October election schedule, warning that any further delay could erode trust in the peace and democratic transition process in the region.

“It is important for the MILF to establish elected members of Parliament so that the BARMM can become a fully-fledged, functioning, and empowered autonomous government — led by leaders elected and legally mandated by the Bangsamoro people,” Iqbal said in a statement.

The call comes amid concerns of another possible delay in the region’s first-ever parliamentary polls. The elections were originally scheduled for May 2022 but were moved to May 2025 through Republic Act 11593. A second adjustment under Republic Act 12123 further postponed the date to 13 October.

Senator Marcos said the government must now uphold its promise to the Bangsamoro people, stressing that the repeated delays have already tested their patience and trust in the democratic process.

“Our Muslim brothers and sisters have been waiting for this for 17 years. It’s almost like we’re toying with them, making them wait for something that should have been theirs long ago,” Marcos said.

She added that the full autonomy promised under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) cannot be realized without a democratically elected Parliament. “They are supposed to be an autonomous region, yet they remain unelected and transitional. The elections must push through this October. It is time.”

Since its formation in 2019 following the landmark ratification of the BOL, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) — composed of appointed members — has governed the region. The transition was originally intended to last three years, but the COVID-19 pandemic and delays in the institutional groundwork prompted two extensions.

Supporters of the elections argue that further postponement would violate the principle of self-governance and accountability enshrined in the peace agreement between the MILF and the Philippine government.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has already started preparing for the BARMM polls, which will mark the country’s first regional parliamentary elections. Registered voters in BARMM will elect 80 members of Parliament who will, in turn, choose the next Chief Minister and key regional leaders.

Senator Marcos also called on all stakeholders — national agencies, security forces, and civil society — to help ensure a peaceful, fair, and credible election process in the region.

“The dream of real autonomy for our Bangsamoro brothers and sisters begins with the ballot. Let’s not deny them this chance any longer,” she said.