In historic first, Bangsamoro people go to polls to choose a new parliament

MOSQUE. The sun sets behind the Cotabato Grand Mosque, the second largest mosque in the Philippines. Prior to the establishment of BARMM in 2019, Cotabato was not part of its predecessor ARMM.

Martin San Diego/Rappler

After decades of armed struggle and years of delays, the conduct of the election is a success in itself

AT A GLANCE

• The Bangsamoro people are set to elect their parliament on September 14, marking a historic moment after decades of struggle and negotiations.
• The new parliamentary system aims to include marginalized sectors and foster a different governance style, but challenges remain regarding party dominance and the formation of a stable government.

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COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The Bangsamoro people are finally set to elect their parliament on Monday, September 14, after decades of armed struggle and historical injustices, years of painstaking negotiations with the Philippine government, and repeated electoral delays.

Polls open as early as 5 am for senior citizens, pregnant women, and persons with disabilities, with the early voting hours lasting until 7 am — the start of regular voting hours. Polls close at 7 pm.

More than two million voters are expected to cast their ballots at their local precincts.

As the elections drew near, tensions had heightened between security forces and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Interim Chief Abdulraof Macacua was ambushed a month before election day. Nearly 12,000 troops and militiamen have since been deployed.

In Cotabato City, Bangsamoro’s regional center, candidates’ and parties’ tarpaulins decorated the sides of roads and were displayed in front of houses and stores. In this city, rival political parties United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) and Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP) held their miting de avance at venues close to each other on Saturday, September 12, the last day of the campaign.

Despite the warning signs, the elections remain an endeavor of hope.

“Something hopeful is happening in the Philippines” was how civil society groups put it. “And it’s happening in the BARMM.”

A different kind of governance

It’s a hopeful election not only because it marks a historic moment for the Bangsamoro people but because it paves the way for a government designed differently from the one the rest of the country has been used to.

In this parliamentary government, political parties are supposed to take center stage instead of personalities. Some of these parties came from the rebel groups that led the struggle for self-governance.

Marginalized sectors such as non-Moro indigenous peoples, women, and youth get representation with a definite number of seats allotted to them.

But this design is often challenged by realities on the ground. Political science professors Yasmira Moner and Aries Arugay offered a somber assessment in their analysis for ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute’s Fulcrum: “Peace settlements rarely spawn instantaneous, mature, inclusive, and democratic arrangements.”

Fractures within the MILF have led some members to run under a different party, BFP. Most notably, MILF’s former military chief, Macacua, is chairman of the BFP.

Factions of the Moro National Liberation Front have also formed different parties, including Nur Misuari’s Mahardika Party and Muslimin Sema’s Bangsamoro Party. Then, there’s the BARMM Grand Coalition, which includes traditional political families in Mindanao such as the Adiongs and Mangudadatus.

A single party may find it difficult to dominate the parliament.

“‘Yung iba rin, ganito rin ang expectation nila, na baka nga mahihirapan magkaroon ng single party majority after the election,“ UBJP spokesperson Mojahirin Ali told reporters on Friday, September 11. “So, we will be expecting a coalition among parties to form a government.”

(The others share the same expectation that we may have a hard time having a single-party majority after the elections.)

Meanwhile, Macacua’s BFP offers to unite other parties and sectors.

“Bangsamoro Federalist Party is a unifier party na walang kinikilala, Muslim man, Lumad man, Christian man, kailangan nating pagsilbihan lahat,” Macacua said during BFP’s grand rally on Saturday.

(Bangsamoro Federalist Party is a unifier party that doesn’t discriminate; whether you’re a Muslim, Lumad, or Christian, we will serve you all.)

In the aftermath

“Winning the peace is one thing, governing BARMM’s post-conflict environment is a totally different matter,” Moner and Arugay wrote.

Some questions may arise in the aftermath of the election: Which factions will command a majority in the 80-member parliament? What will be the priorities of the new government? Will decommissioning resume soon?

And the most immediate: Who will be the next chief minister?

The answer to that will come a little later, when the parliament assumes office on October 30 and eventually holds its first session.

In the meantime, conducting a peaceful and credible election is the primary objective of many stakeholders who have come down south for this historic event. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has promised as much.

The answers to all the other questions are for the new Bangsamoro government to provide. The elected parliament will have until June 2031 to deliver progress and lasting peace in the region.