Comelec holds final command conference for Sept. 14 BARMM polls

High-level officials gathered in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte, on Wednesday for a final command conference concerning the September 14 Bangsamoro parliamentary elections. The meeting, held at the Police Regional Office – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region headquarters, was attended by key figures including Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia, Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla, and BARMM interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua.

Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, Philippine Coast Guard commander Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, and Philippine Army commanding general Lt. Gen. Donald Gumiran were also present. The half-day conference focused on preparations and security measures for the inaugural parliamentary elections in the BARMM.

The Bangsamoro region, established in 2019 following the ratification of Republic Act 11054, or the Bangsamoro Organic Law, comprises the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi, along with the cities of Marawi, Lamitan, and Cotabato. The region's creation was a cornerstone of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), signed in 2014 between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after 17 years of peace negotiations.