Prevent outside influence in Bangsamoro polls, groups urge Marcos

SPEECH. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives on July 27, 2026.

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Civil society also urges the Moro Islamic Liberation Front 'not to fan the flames of division'

AT A GLANCE

• Civil society groups urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to prevent external influences in the Bangsamoro parliamentary polls to uphold the region's autonomy.
• Duyog Bangsamoro emphasized the need for peaceful and credible elections, expressing concerns over perceived meddling by Malacañang in regional affairs.
• The upcoming elections are seen as a significant milestone in the peace process with the MILF, despite internal conflicts within the organization affecting the electoral landscape.

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MANILA, Philippines – Civil society groups urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, September 8, to prevent external actors from attempting to influence the outcome of the Bangsamoro parliamentary polls and undermine the autonomy the region fought hard for.

Duyog Bangsamoro, a coalition comprised of regional and national civic organizations, urged the national government to continue supporting the peace process “regardless of which parties win the elections.”

“They have to make sure that this election turns out to be peaceful and credible,” Josua Mata, secretary general of labor group Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa, said in a press briefing Tuesday.

Duyog Bangsamoro said there is a “persistent perception” in the region that Malacañang has been meddling with the affairs of the regional government.

This started when Malacañang made “irregular appointments” to the transition government, the group said, which deepened cracks within the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“We call on the AFP and PNP personnel assigned to the region to observe the highest level of professionalism and reject influence from any actor that would deprive the Bangsamoro people of a genuine exercise of their autonomy,” their statement read.

The historic election is a milestone in the peace process between the Philippine government and the MILF.

But other things have yet to be done, such as decommissioning former combatants and the implementation of transitional justice. (READ: Transitional justice for Bangsamoro should be a ‘national project,’ say peace advocates)

MILF’s prerogative

The call for peaceful and credible elections followed MILF’s recent move to dismiss a number of its commanders and strip Abdulraof Macacua of his position as the organization’s military chief.

Macacua is the Bangsamoro interim chief minister, running in the 3rd parliamentary district of Maguindanao del Norte. Macacua has refused to run under the banner of United Bangsamoro Justice Party, the MILF’s official regional parliamentary political party.

This move manifested a long-running conflict inside the MILF. However this affects the election outcome, Amina Rasul, president of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy, said that MILF’s decision is their prerogative.

“It’s within their right,” Rasul said on Tuesday. “In truth, we don’t know the rationale for that. We have to accept the decision and just make sure that everything is going to proceed as peacefully as possible.”

To the MILF, the coalition said: Don’t fan the flames of division, continue to engage in debates, and instruct the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces to “stand down.”

Over 2.3 million voters are expected to participate in the September 14 parliamentary elections. The Bangsamoro region is electing political party and district representatives. The elected parliament will eventually choose one member to become the chief minister. – Rappler.com