Bangsamoro Parliament

The 1987 Constitution provided for the creation of an autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao comprising provinces, cities, municipalities, and geographical areas that share a common and distinctive historical and cultural heritage, socioeconomic structures, and other relevant characteristics according to the framework of the Constitution, national sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Philippines.^[1]

On July 27, 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act 11054, known as the "Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao," replacing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.^[2] It provided that the region would have greater fiscal autonomy, a regional government, a Parliament, and its own justice system.

Article VII, Section 2 of the Bangsamoro Organic Law states that:

The first Bangsamoro Parliament is an interim legislature headed by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA). The first set of members of the BTA took their oath on February 22, 2019.^[3] The effective abolishment of the precursor autonomous region, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) took place following the official turnover of the ARMM to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region occurred on February 26, 2019.^[4]

Pangalian Balindong was the first speaker of the Parliament, serving until his death from an undisclosed illness on October 2, 2025.^[5] He was succeeded by Mohammad Yacob on October 21, 2025. Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba served as the floor leader of the second interim Parliament until October 21, 2025, when she was elected one of the deputy speakers, and was succeeded by John Anthony Lim.

In the first interim Parliament, there was a majority leader (Lanang Ali Jr., an MILF nominee) and a minority leader (Laisa Alamia, a national government nominee), but these positions were scrapped in the second interim Parliament.^[6][7]

The first interim Bangsamoro Parliament had its inaugural session on March 29, 2019, and passed four resolutions, two of which involved the budget for the Bangsamoro region.^[8] The interim Bangsamoro Parliament's mandate was supposed to end on June 30, 2022, as per the Bangsamoro Organic Law, but this was extended to 2025 by law passed by President Rodrigo Duterte whose presidency ended on the same day the interim Parliament is supposed to be dissolved.^[9]

The second interim Parliament had its inaugural session on September 15, 2022.^[10] President Bongbong Marcos appointed a new set of members for the interim Parliament. The MILF nominees include people associated with the MNLF—eight from the Sema-Jikiri faction and seven from the Nur Misuari's faction. Misuari's group became part of the Parliament for the first time.^[11]

The first regular Parliament is expected to convene after the 2026 parliamentary election.

Seat

The Parliament first met at the auditorium of the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex located within the BARMM Complex in Cotabato City during the first interim Parliament from 2019 to 2022. Sessions were then regularly held at the Parliament Building, the former seat of the ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly, within the same complex since 2022.

The chamber's current design features traditional Islamic geometric patterns and cultural motifs, such as the okir.^{[citation needed]} The speaker's rostrum has the Philippine national flag and the Bangsamoro flag on display, as per the Bangsamoro Organic Law.^[12]

On April 16, 2026, the four-storey Regional Assembly Building or the Sheikh Salamat Hashim Building was inaugurated. The building is meant to host committee hearings and policy deliberations of the Bangsamoro Parliament.^[13]

As per law, the legislature should be composed of at least 80 members,^[14][15] who in turn are led by the speaker of the Parliament which was appointed from among the members of the legislature.^[16] Until June 30, 2019, 24 elective officials of the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao could have served as additional members.

40 percent of the Parliament seats are allotted to the representatives of Bangsamoro's parliamentary districts, although the districts are yet to be constituted. The Bangsamoro parliamentary districts will exist independently from the legislative districts used to determine representation in the national House of Representatives.^[17][18] Only the national Congress has the power to increase the composition of the Parliament.

There are also legal provisions to deter members of the Parliament to switch political party allegiance. Changing political party affiliation within the term of a member of Parliament would mean the forfeiture of their seat. Changing of affiliation within six months prior to a parliamentary election renders the person ineligible as a nominee of a political party seeking representation in the Parliament.^[19]

As with most legislative bodies, the Parliament uses committees that are constituted to specialize in particular areas of concern and to carry out specific functions. They are responsible for making recommendations to the plenary and preparing reports on the disposition of bills, resolutions, and other legislative matters.

The following is a list of parliamentary and statutory committees, along with a sole special committee and their respective chairpersons as of the second interim Parliament:^[22]

The current seal of the Bangsamoro Parliament is in use since 2021 and its specifications is defined under Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 16.^[23] It is a circular symbol with a green, red, white, and yellow color scheme patterned after the Bangsamoro Flag and bears the name of the Parliament. Its central element is a shield bearing the Bangsamoro flag and is partially surrounded by a semicircle parliament diagram with 80 blocks signifying the number of seats in the Parliament. The book on top of the shield which represents the "living adherence of the Parliament to the rule of law," while the text "2019" represents the foundation year of Bangsamoro. The Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 16, as Parliament Bill No. 24 was passed by the Bangsamoro Parliament on January 19, 2021.

A previous version of the seal without the book and foundation year was used prior to the passage of the bill.^[24][25] The modified seal was formally adopted after the Chief Minister signed the bill into law on February 12, 2021.^[23]

The following chart shows the historical composition of the Parliament after the beginning of every legislative period since the first interim Parliament in 2019.

• Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
• Bangsamoro
• ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly
• Bangsamoro Youth Model Parliament