Senators seek peaceful Bangsamoro voting

Senators Kiko Pangilinan and Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri called for orderly and peaceful Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections on Monday, 14 September, amid persistent reports of vote-buying and localized violence.

Pangilinan urged political camps and other stakeholders to exercise restraint, warning that election-related violence could undermine public confidence and discourage voters from participating in the historic polls, which were postponed for four years.

“Millions have endured years of conflict, displacement, grief and sacrifice to reach this milestone. This election offers a path through which the people’s voice is heard not through the sound of gunfire, but through the free and equal exercise of their rights as citizens,” he said in Filipino.

“Enough blood has been shed. It is time for this land to yearn not for weapons, but for fields to till, livelihoods, harvests to reap, education and a future shared by all,” he added.

About 2.39 million voters are expected to cast their ballots in 5,212 clustered precincts across 1,186 voting centers.

Zubiri, a Mindanaoan and principal author of Republic Act 11054, which created the BARMM in 2019, urged all political camps to avoid actions that could disrupt the elections and respect voters’ choices.

“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,” Zubiri said.

Pangilinan and Zubiri also called on the Commission on Elections and law enforcement agencies to remain vigilant against possible unrest.

Gun violence

A monitoring bulletin by Climate Conflict Action Asia reported that gun-related incidents rose to 58 from 16 July to 31 August despite the continuing gun ban.

Among the election-related incidents was the 15 August ambush of Bangsamoro Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, shortly after he was elected to lead the Bangsamoro Federalist Party, which is fielding candidates for the parliament. Macacua survived the attack.

The BARMM comprises five provinces — Basilan, excluding Isabela City; Lanao del Sur; Maguindanao del Norte; Maguindanao del Sur; and Tawi-Tawi — as well as three cities and 63 barangays.

Voters will elect 40 regional representatives, 32 district representatives and eight sectoral representatives to the 80-seat Bangsamoro Parliament.

The polls were originally scheduled for May 2022. Congress later moved them to May 2025, then to October of that year after the Supreme Court excluded Sulu from the BARMM.

The Supreme Court subsequently voided the region’s parliamentary districting laws, prompting another postponement to March 2026.

Comelec later deferred the elections because of time constraints in implementing a new districting law. Congress finally reset the polls to 14 September under Republic Act 12317.