Manila: For the first time since the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in 2019, about 2.4 million registered voters are expected to elect new leaders on Sept. 14 in the historic first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE). The elected officials will comprise the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament, with 80 members and seats divided among party representatives, district representatives, and sectoral representatives.
According to Philippines News Agency, the current 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority, the provisional BARMM lawmaking body, consists of appointed officials who have managed the region's affairs since 2019 when BARMM was created from the old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) setup. Voters will elect 32 district representatives in the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Cotabato, Marawi, Lamitan, and the Special Geographic Area (SGA) in North Cotabato. They will also choose political party representatives by electing one party out of 13 Commission on Elections-accredited regional political parties and eight sectoral representatives.
The eight sectoral representative seats are allocated as follows: two seats for Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIPs), two for settler communities, one for the women's sector, one for the youth sector, one for the Ulama (religious) sector, and one for the traditional leaders' sector. The NMIP has chosen its parliament representative through a traditional selection process last week. Only six sectoral representatives are designated to be voted for in the election. On the official ballot, 13 Regional Parliamentary Political Parties compete for the 40 party-representative seats under the proportional representation system. Under the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, a party must receive at least 2.5 percent of the valid votes cast to qualify for seat allocation.
In a statement on Tuesday, Mayor Akmad Ampatuan of Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur, expressed optimism about the regional political exercise, highlighting the importance of a more responsive and inclusive form of government. Cesario Glimada, a security guard in Cotabato City, noted the significance of the election as it allows the BARMM leaders' mandate to truly come from the people. Jovie Gutang, an agricultural products supplier, praised the improvements in health services under BARMM, while Army Sgt. George Benez hoped for continued peace during the elections.
Joselito Paracueles, a resident of the SGA-BARMM, expressed preference for the current autonomous regional government over the previous ARMM setup, citing improved access to basic services. Pastor Cresencio Subaldo of Missionary Alliance Churches of the Philippines emphasized the importance of the election in providing the Bangsamoro electorate with the freedom to choose their leaders. Roberto Regacho, a government employee, highlighted the uniqueness of the autonomous governance setup, involving major stakeholders in the regional government affairs.
