IBP sets up legal aid desk for first BARMM parliamentary elections

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines has set up a legal aid desk in Mindanao and deployed volunteer lawyers to assist voters and other election stakeholders during the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections.

The IBP said its Lanao del Sur chapter, in coordination with the IBP National Center for Legal Aid, established a Legal Aid Help Desk at the Bangsamoro Electoral Office in Malidegao within BARMM’s Special Geographic Area.

The help desk provides legal guidance, receives election-related concerns and facilitates referrals when necessary.

IBP national officers are also on the ground to coordinate with local chapters and volunteer lawyers as part of the organization’s efforts to promote access to justice, voters’ rights and electoral integrity.

Nearly 2.4 million registered voters across BARMM are casting their ballots on Monday, 14 September, to elect the first 80-member Bangsamoro Parliament.

Voters are choosing 40 political party representatives, 32 district representatives and eight sectoral representatives, including seats for women, youth, traditional leaders and settler communities.

The region’s chief minister will not be directly elected. The newly elected members of parliament will choose the chief minister during their first legislative session.

The elections mark a transition from the appointed interim government that has led the region since BARMM was established in 2019.

The polls were postponed several times before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act 12317 in March, setting the second Monday of September 2026 as the election date.

Security forces were placed on heightened alert after sporadic violence was reported hours before voting began.