Bangsamoro region votes in first parliamentary election

Voters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) cast ballots on Monday, September 14, 2026, in the region's first parliamentary elections, a landmark step toward self-governance following a 2014 peace deal. The vote marks the end of a transition period for the autonomous region in the southern Philippines. Nearly 2.4 million voters were eligible to choose representatives for 80 parliamentary seats, which include 40 political party representatives, 32 district representatives, and eight sectoral representatives. The region's chief minister, who will head the executive branch, is not directly elected by voters but will be chosen by parliament from among its members in a subsequent session. The historic election was marred by pre-election violence and ballot tampering. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) placed Cotabato City under its control after a shooting late Sunday, September 13, killed three people and injured 15 others. According to Cotabato police chief Jibin Bongcayao, the violence erupted as members of rival political factions jostled for position in a voting queue outside a school being used as a polling station.