2026 Bangsamoro Parliament election
Autonomous regional election in the Philippines
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The first-ever Bangsamoro Parliament election is expected to take place in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on September 14, 2026, under the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which serves as the charter of the autonomous region within the Philippines, marking the first regular election for the Bangsamoro Parliament that will succeed the interim Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament.
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September 14, 2026
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72 of 80 seats to the Bangsamoro Parliament 41 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Registered | 2.3 million[1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The elections were originally scheduled for May 2022 but were postponed to May 2025 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the absence of a Bangsamoro Electoral Code, with the interim regional government and advocacy groups in Mindanao successfully campaigning for rescheduling. They were later postponed again after Sulu was ruled by the Supreme Court as not part of Bangsamoro, leaving seven seats unallocated, with the election previously scheduled for October 13, 2025, before the Supreme Court declared the two districting laws unconstitutional, resulting in a further postponement to an expected date no later than March 31, 2026.
In early 2026, the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) deferred the scheduled election, and after four postponements, President Bongbong Marcos signed Republic Act No. 12317 on March 25, 2026, resetting the election date, which is now scheduled for September 14, 2026.
Background
Interim parliament
When Bangsamoro was formed in 2019, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority served as an interim government of the autonomous region, and also acted as its interim parliament. The interim government is not officially divided through political party affiliation but is instead divided into two groups according to the nominating entity; the majority are nominees of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, while the rest are nominees of the Philippine national government.[2]
Under the law which postponed the elections to 2025, the President of the Philippines may appoint a new set of members for the interim parliament whose term will run until June 30, 2025.[3]
| Current Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament composition | |
|---|---|
| Political group | Seats |
| Moro Islamic Liberation Front nominees | 38 / 80 |
| National Government nominees | 38 / 80 |
| Vacant | 4 / 80 |
Initial postponement
Originally scheduled to be held on May 9, 2022, the Bangsamoro Parliament elections was postponed. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region was cited as justification, which led to the non-passage of a Bangsamoro Electoral Code. The electoral code would be the regional legislation that would define the parliamentary districts for the purpose of the regional elections. The electoral code would be legislated using data from the 2020 census which was likewise affected by the pandemic.[4] In order for the elections to be postponed, the Bangsamoro Organic Law needs to be amended.
The Bangsamoro interim government and some advocacy groups in Mindanao campaigned for the postponement of the polls.[5][6] Interim Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim reasoned that three years is not enough to restructure the region's government, and that the COVID-19 pandemic and delays on the release of the region's budget caused the delay in the transition process. The postponement also received opposition. Kusug Tausug in the House of Representatives believed that postponing the elections tantamount to justifying the interim Bangsamoro government's performance which it found inadequate. Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan also opposed the extension since he wanted elected officials to lead the region by 2022.[7]
In the Congress, there was a debate if it would be necessary to hold a plebiscite for the potential postponement of the Bangsamoro elections.[8][7] The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections, amid talks on the possible postponement of the elections, wanted the polls to be "desynchronized" or be held in a different date from the national elections since a new electoral system would be used for the regional elections.[9]
The Senate approved on final reading Senate Bill No. 2214 on September 6, 2021, proposing the postponement of elections to 2025.[10] A counterpart bill in the House of Representatives was approved on September 15.[11] As the two bills were different, it had to be reconciled in a conference committee before being submitted for the president's signature for it to become law, and for it to actually postpone the election. While both bills gave the president of the Philippines the power to appoint the members for the 2019–2022 term, the House bill gave the incumbent president Rodrigo Duterte that power, while the Senate bill gave the winner of the 2022 presidential election that power.[12] In late September, both chambers ratified the conference committee's version of the bill, giving the winning president in the 2022 election the power to appoint the members of the next transitional parliament.[13]
President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law on October 28 the bill postponing the elections to 2025.[14] However Duterte's successor was given the ability still change the parliament's whole composition once they assume office.[15]
Second interim parliament
Duterte's successor President Bongbong Marcos appointed a new set of members for the interim parliament. Forty-nine were reappointed while are 31 new members. The composition of 41 MILF nominees and 39 government nominees were still retained.[16]
Exclusion of Sulu from Bangsamoro and second postponement
In September 2024, Sulu province was excluded from Bangsamoro by a Supreme Court ruling consequentially excluding it from the 2025 elections, citing that its inclusion in the BARMM was unconstitutional as most of its residents voted against joining the region in the 2019 Bangsamoro autonomy plebiscite.[17] The ruling has led to uncertainty regarding the fate of seven seats allotted to Sulu in the Bangsamoro Parliament.[18]
On October 22, 2024, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority adopted a resolution requesting the national Congress to move the election to 2028 on account of Sulu's exclusion from the BARMM.[19] On November 4, 2024, Senate President Chiz Escudero filed Senate bill 2862, which called for the election to be postponed to May 11, 2026, in order for the BARMM "to reconfigure its jurisdictions as well as reallocate" its parliamentary seats following the exclusion of Sulu.[20] A separate bill was also filed in the House of Representatives to postpone the election until 2026 by Speaker Martin Romualdez and Lanao del Sur representative Zia Alonto Adiong.[21]
A group of 35 civil society organizations in Mindanao opposed the postponement of the election and were also critical on the progress of decommissioning of the MILF as an armed rebel group.[22] Maguindanao del Sur governor Mariam Mangudadatu said that there has been fatal skirmishes involving the MILF since 2022, questioning their legitimacy since their leadership in the transition government would consequentially be extended if the elections is postponed. She also brought up a pledge by president Bongbong Marcos that the election will be held as planned in 2025.[23]
The Bangsamoro regional government has expressed openness to the postponement stating that it is deferring the "sound discretion" of the national Congress. Concerns were largely on the disentrancement of voters in Sulu, especially in the event the Supreme Court reverse its decision.[24] Mohagher Iqbal of the MILF and also a parliament member was surprised of the initiative of the national congress believing that it would be advantageous to the United Bangsamoro Justice Party, the MILF's party, if the election would be held as planned in 2025.[25] On November 21, Basilan governor Hadjiman Hataman Salliman, Maguindanao del Norte Governor Abdulraof Macacua, and Tawi-Tawi Governor Yshmael Sali issued a joint statement supporting the postponement, citing the need to address the distribution of parliamentary seats following the exclusion of Sulu.[26]
On February 16, 2025, COMELEC announced the suspension of ballot-printing for the election after a bicameral conference committee in Congress approved the postponement of the vote.[27] On February 19, President Bongbong Marcos signed into law Republic Act No. 12123, officially moving the date of the election to October 13, 2025.[28]
The COMELEC gave a chance to the Bangsamoro Parliament to reallocate the seven parliamentary districts originally allocated for Sulu. The parliament missed two deadlines; on May 30 and on June 15, 2025. COMELEC announced that only 73 out of 80 parliamentary seats will be filled.[29]
Third postponement
On September 15, 2025, the Supreme Court, acting on an petition filed by Bangsamoro MP Lanang Ali Jr., League of Bangsamoro Organizations Secretary General Samsodin Amella, and peace advocate Datuan Magon Jr., issued a temporary restraining order against the Bangsomoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 77, or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Redistricting Act of 2025, which sought to implement the reallocation of parliamentary districts,[30] prompting the COMELEC to suspend its preparations for the election on September 17.[31] On September 25, COMELEC chair George Garcia said it was "legally and factually impossible" to hold the election as scheduled, citing the TRO by the Supreme Court.[32]
On October 1, 2025, the Supreme Court declared the BAA 77 as well as the preceding BAA 58 as unconstitutional leaving Bangsamoro without a law defining its parliamentary districts and effectively postponing the elections yet again. The high court nevertheless the COMELEC to proceed on the preparations and the conduct of elections not later than March 31, 2026 and ordered the parliament to determine distribution of district parliamentary seats by October 30, 2025.[33]
After the Bangsamoro Parliament failed to comply with the first COMELEC deadline, the election body warned that the parliament should pass a new districting law by November 30, 2025. As per the interpretation by the COMELEC, the parliament should pass the districting law by this date to comply the Voters' Registration Act which states that no law modifying electoral districts shall be passed 120 days before the elections – one of the cited reasons why the Supreme Court declared BAA 77 as unconstitutional.[34][35]
On November 25, 2025, the COMELEC set the election date on March 30, 2026.[36]
The Bangsamoro Parliament still failed to pass a districting law after it held its last regular session for the year on December 18, 2025.[37][38] On December 22, the COMELEC has already urged the national Congress to pass a law to set the elections to November 2026.[39]
Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua called for a special session to be held from December 29 to 31, 2025 in a bid to pass a districting law.[40] The special session took place as Mohammad Yacob decided against convening the parliament citing that its members are expected to be unavailable during this period.[41]
A special session began on January 12, 2026,[42] with Parliament Bill 415 passed minutes passed midnight of the following day.[43][44] However the Institute for Autonomy and Governance and COMELEC has raised concern that the new districting law has already missed the deadline to be compliant with the 120-days requirement set by the Voters' Registration Act.[45][46]
Fourth postponement
On January 28, 2026, the COMELEC announced the deferment of the election, citing the 120-day deadline.[47] Senator Migz Zubiri subsequently filed Senate Bill 1823, which sought to hold the election on September 14, 2026.[48] On March 25, 2026, President Bongbong Marcos signed the bill into law. Signed as Republic Act No. 12317, the law resets the date of the first regular Bangsamoro Parliament election to September 14, 2026. It ensures that future elections will be synchronized with the Philippines' national and local election schedule. The law amended Section 13, Article XVI of the Bangsamoro Organic Law to reflect the new election date after multiple postponements.[49][50]
Electoral system
- Political parties (40 seats) (50.0%)
- Single member districts (32 seats) (40.0%)
- Sectoral representatives (8 seats) (10.0%)
A total of 80 seats will be contested in the 2026 Bangsamoro elections. The final composition of the parliament after the elections should satisfy the following:[51][52]
- One half (40 seats) shall be representatives of political parties elected through a system of proportional representation.
- Not more than 40 percent (32 seats) of the members of the parliament shall be elected from single member districts.
- Reserved seats and sectoral representatives shall constitute at least 10 percent, which in any case should be no less than 8 seats.
The Bangsamoro parliamentary districts were initially defined on February 28, 2024, via Bangsamoro Act No. 58, and on August 19, 2025, via Bangsamoro Act No. 77.[53] The two acts were then declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, and a replacement law, which was later known as the Bangsamoro Act No. 86, provided for the current scope of the regional parliamentary districts.
The parliamentary districts exist independently from the congressional districts used to determine representation in the national House of Representatives.[54]
| Constituency | Number of seats | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| BAA No. 58 (2024) (declared unconstitutional) |
BAA No. 77 (2025) (declared unconstitutional) |
BAA No. 86 (2026) (current) | |
| Basilan | 3 | 4 | |
| Lanao del Sur | 8 | 9 | |
| Maguindanao del Norte | 4 | 5 | |
| Maguindanao del Sur | 4 | 5 | |
| Sulu | 7 | —[a] | |
| Tawi-Tawi | 3 | 4 | |
| Cotabato City | 2 | 3 | |
| Special Geographic Area | 1 | 2 | |
The following is the distribution for the sectoral representatives seats:[52]
- Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIP) – 2 seats
- Settler communities – 2 seats
- Women – 1 seat
- Youth – 1 seat
- Traditional leaders – 1 seat
- 'Ulama – 1 seat
The NMIPs, Traditional leaders, and 'Ulama representatives shall be elected in their own convention/assembly separate from the parliamentary elections. The names of the elected representatives should be submitted to the Commission on Elections seven days prior to the parliamentary elections and would be proclaimed simultaneously with the rest of the elected members of parliament.[52]
Ballots for the election will include candidates’ photos and the official logos of political parties.[56]
Calendar
Original timetable
| Activity | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Publication of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code (Bangsamoro Autonomy Act 35)[57] | April 17, 2024 | |
| Filing of petition for registration of regional parliament political parties and regional parliament sectoral organizations[58][59] | May 15, 2024 | July 1, 2024 (extended from June 7, 2024[60]) |
| Submission of Sworn Information Update Statement (SIUS) to the Political Finance and Affairs Department (PFAD) and filing of registration or accreditation of a coalition[58] | August 15, 2024 (deadline) | |
| Submission of Manifestation of Intent to Participate in the Parliamentary Election of party representatives[58] | August 30, 2024 (deadline) | |
| Election day | October 13, 2025 | |
The period for the filing of candidacies in the election was initially scheduled from October 1–8, 2024. However, the Commission on Elections subsequently moved the date to November 4–9, 2024 due to the exclusion of Sulu from the BARMM by the Supreme Court.[61]
Current timetable
| Activity[62] | Start | End |
|---|---|---|
| Filing of certificates of candidacy for district representativespolitical parties | May 5, 2026 | May 7, 2026 |
| Filing of lists of nominees and acceptance of nomination of regional parliamentary | ||
| Election period | July 16, 2026 (start) | |
| Campaign period | July 30, 2026 | September 12, 2026 |
| Election day | September 14, 2026 | |
Security concerns
A gun ban went into effect in Bangsamoro on August 14, 2025, coinciding with the election period, and will last until October 28, 2025.[63] This also applies to Isabela in Basilan, despite the city itself not being part of Bangsamoro.[64] On September 11, 2025, COMELEC placed 12 municipalities in the Bangsamoro under its red areas of concern due to a history of conflict and violence. These included six towns in Lanao del Sur (Masiu, Lumba-Bayabao, Poona Bayabao, Tamparan, Taraka and Mulondo), five in Maguindanao del Sur (Paglat, Pandag, Buluan, Datu Paglas and Mangudadatu), and Al-Barka in Basilan.[65] Following the Supreme Court's ruling voiding Bangsamoro Autonomy Acts No. 77 and 58, COMELEC said that it would lift all election-related security measures.[66]
After the election was rescheduled to September 2026, a new gun ban went into effect on July 16, 2026, and will last until September 29, 2026.[67] By August 24, at least 15 people were arrested for violating the ban, while 20 firearms were seized. More then 24,000 security checkpoints were set up across the region.[68]
On August 14, a convoy carrying interim BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua was fired upon by unidentified assailants in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte as he was returning from Kabuntalan, where he had assumed the leadership of the Bangsamoro Federalist Party. No injuries were recorded.[69]
Awareness
The Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG) conducted a survey between January 27 and February 15, 2025, asking 2,688 likely voters. Almost half or 47.3% admitted they were completely unaware of how Bangsamoro region's voting process actually works.[70]
Parties
Background
When the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) was asked in May 2021 if they would participate in the not-yet-postponed Bangsamoro elections, they said that they were "ready" but expressed preference that "there would be no election yet", so that they would keep focused on "the delivery of basic services" to residents of Bangsamoro. The UBJP is an affiliate of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, whose nominees form the majority of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament.[71]
On April 24, 2024, the Bangsamoro Peoples Party (BPP), the Al Ittihad–UKB Party and the Serbisyong Inklusibo–Alyansang Progresibo (SIAP) formed an electoral alliance for the 2025 election.[72]
Eligible parties should have at least 10,000 members with chapters throughout the Bangsamoro region.[73] This prerequisite remains despite Sulu's exclusion from Bangsamoro in September 2024.[74]
Contesting parties
Eight parties have registered with the Commission on Elections as of March 2024.[75] On May 18, 2024, Sulu governor Abdusakur Mahail Tan announced that he would forego another term as governor in the 2025 local election and challenge Murad Ebrahim as Chief Minister during a rally in Maimbung. He received support from the BARMM Grand Coalition.[76] However, Tan became ineligible to run for chief minister following the Supreme Court decision excluding Sulu from the BARMM on September 9, 2024.[77]
Sixteen political groups sought accreditation for the purpose of parliamentary election.[78] The BARMM Grand Coalition (BGC) registered as a regional party and not as a coalition, although two of its members Al Ittihad–UKB and SIAP also sought separate accreditations.[79] As of November 5, 2024, there are eight accredited regional parties, including the BGC.[80][81]
In March 2026, the COMELEC asked all accredited parties to register again after their certifications was nullified by Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 88.[82] Sixteen political groups has filed applications by the April 6, 2026 deadline.[83] 13 parties were part of the tentative list of parties published in May 13, 2026.[84][85]
| Name | Affiliation/s | Seats vying | ||||||||
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| PR | FPTP | Settler | Women | Youth | Ulama | TL | ||||
| Al Ittihad–UKB Party | Itihad | BARMM Grand Coalition |  |
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| Alliance of Bangsamoro Tri-Peoples Party | ABOT | |
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| Bangsamoro Party[b] | BaPA | Moro National Liberation Front | |
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| Bangsamoro Peoples Party | BPP | BARMM Grand Coalition | |
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| Bangsamoro Empowerment and Social Transformation Party | BEST | |
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| Bangsamoro Federalist Party[c] | BFP | |
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| BARMM Grand Coalition[87][88][d] | BGC | BARMM Grand Coalition | |
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| Christians Settler for Peace | C4P | |
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| Datu sa Kabuntalan (Matampay) sa Magindanaw Royal Descendants Association | Royals | |
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| Dungon Traditional Leaders Organization | DTLO | |
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| Indigenous, Settler, Sama and Minorities Alliance Party | ISAMA | |
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| Iranun Sultanate's League of the Philippines, Inc. | ISLPI | |
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| League of Bangsamoro Islamic Advocate Associate | LBIAA | |
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| Mahardika Party | MP | Moro National Liberation Front | |
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| Moro Ako Party | Moro Ako | |
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| People's Consultative (Mushawara) Party | Mushawara | |
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| Partido Bangon Bangsamoro | PBB | |
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| Progresibong Bangsamoro Party | PRO BM | |
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| Raayat Democratic Party | Raayat | |
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| Royal House of the Sultanate of Marawi | RHSUMA | |
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| Royal House of the Sultanate of Pagayawan | RHSUPA | |
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| Royal Sultanate of Eastern Unayan | RSEU | |
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| Royal Sultanate of Langkong | RSL | |
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| Serbisyong Inklusibo–Alyansang Progresibo | SIAP | BARMM Grand Coalition | |
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| Tawi-Tawi Provincial Women's Council Inc. | TPWC | |
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| United Bangsamoro Justice Party[e] | UBJP | Moro Islamic Liberation Front | |
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| Independent | |
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Elections
Single member district
Proportional representation
Sectoral representatives
As of August 2025, the Independent Election Monitoring Center (IEMC) states that there are no guidelines on how the assemblies for the sectoral representatives are to be convened.[89]
The sectoral seats are planned to be filled sometime in September 2025 with the involved organizations voting among themselves.[90]
Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples
The COMELEC has set July 27 to August 9, 2026 as the period where non-Moro indigenous people communities will conduct their tribal assemblies and August 24 to September 4 as the period for Regional Inter-Tribal Convention to select the two representatives.[91]
Traditional leaders
The traditional leaders sector represent the royal sultanates in Bangsamoro. The following institutions are explicitly named in Section 31 of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code.[92]
- Sulu Sultanate (unclear in the context of Sulu province's exclusion from Bangsamoro in September 2024)
- Maguindanao, Kabuntalan, and Buayan
- Royal House of Ranao
- Royal House of Iranun
Ulama
Under the original composition of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, the Ulama should have their own separate election through a convention similar to NMIPs.[93][94] However with the amendment of the Electoral Code through Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 88, it should be held on the same election day through a plurality of valid votes by the electorate.[95]
Notes
- Includes the Bangsamoro Party–Women.
- Including the Bangsamoro Federalist Party's Settler Communities Sectoral Wing, Women Sectoral Wing, Youth Sectoral Wing, Ulama Sectoral Wing and Traditional Leaders Sectoral Wing.
- Including the BARMM Grand Coalition–Youth Sectoral Wing and the Bangsamoro Grand Coalition–Traditional Leaders Sectoral Wing.
- Including the United Bangsamoro Justice Party's Settler Communities Sectoral Wing, Women Sectoral Wing, Youth Sectoral Wing, Ulama Sectoral Wing and Traditional Leaders Sectoral Wing.