Bangsamoro’s parliamentary election is a turning point
Al Jazeera
•Sun, 13 Sep 2026 18:39:28 +0000
📰 What Happened
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in the Philippines holds its first parliamentary election on Monday. It ends a transition run by an interim government appointed in 2019. The vote follows decades of fighting and peace talks between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Philippine government. Officials say it tests both sides' commitment to peace and to democracy.
🔍 The Backstory
BARMM sits on Mindanao, the second-largest Philippine island, home to the Muslim-majority Moro people. The Moro governed themselves for centuries and resisted Spanish rule. An earlier region set up in 1989 failed to fix local problems. In 2018 a new law gave the region more control over money, its own parliament and a justice system. But the MILF has since split into two camps, and past votes there saw widespread vote-buying and violence.
🎯 Why It Matters
This vote decides whether a long peace deal turns into everyday politics. For people in the region, it is a rare chance to choose their own leaders after years of conflict.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in the Philippines holds its first parliamentary election on Monday. It ends a transition run by an interim government appointed in 2019. The vote follows decades of fighting and peace talks between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Philippine government. Officials say it tests both sides' commitment to peace and to democracy.
BARMM sits on Mindanao, the second-largest Philippine island, home to the Muslim-majority Moro people. The Moro governed themselves for centuries and resisted Spanish rule. An earlier region set up in 1989 failed to fix local problems. In 2018 a new law gave the region more control over money, its own parliament and a justice system. But the MILF has since split into two camps, and past votes there saw widespread vote-buying and violence.
This vote decides whether a long peace deal turns into everyday politics. For people in the region, it is a rare chance to choose their own leaders after years of conflict.