Commission on Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Thursday, 10 September, urged candidates and political parties to help ensure peaceful and credible parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“In the days ahead, I ask for the cooperation of all in ensuring elections that are free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible,” Garcia said in his Reflections from the Chair.

“Let every voter cast their ballot freely and without fear, and every candidate and political party conduct themselves with restraint, respect for the process, and a shared commitment to preserving the safety of all,” he added.

The region’s first parliamentary elections on 14 September will give voters the opportunity to choose representatives under a system intended to reflect the Bangsamoro’s distinct political character, Garcia said.

“These elections stand on generations of Bangsamoro struggle for homeland, identity and self-determination, in the face of dispossession, marginalization, conflict and sacrifice,” he said.

Garcia said the peace process paved the way for self-government, with the elections transferring authority to representatives chosen through the ballot.

He added that the parliamentary system provides safeguards against the concentration of political power, guarantees representation for sectors and communities, and encourages parties to compete on programs and principles.