BARMM polls set stage for battle over regional power

Voters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) are preparing to elect an 80-seat parliament on September 14, a pivotal moment that will transition the region from a seven-year period of presidential appointees to a democratically elected government.

Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua highlighted the election's significance, stating it represents the "full exercise of the people’s sovereign will." This vote will determine not only the composition of the legislature but also which political forces will shape the region's first elected government.

The political battle is primarily between the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the political wing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP), which is aligned with President Marcos's Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. MILF chairperson Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim is a key figure for the UBJP, while Macacua, who replaced Ebrahim as chief minister last year, is a prominent figure for the BFP. This leadership shift reportedly caused resentment within the MILF Central Committee, leading to Macacua being stripped of his positions within the MILF and UBJP.

Beyond the main contenders, traditional political clans, long influential in Mindanao, have formed alliances to challenge the MILF's dominance. Additionally, groups associated with the Moro National Liberation Front and former MILF commanders are participating in the electoral contest. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has accredited twelve regional political parties, including the BARMM Grand Coalition, which comprises leaders from Maguindanao del Sur and Basilan, indicating a multifaceted political landscape for this historic election.

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As enshrined in the Bangsamoro Organic Law, this election marks the full exercise of the people’s sovereign will, the formal transition from an interim government to a democratically elected parliament.