National gov't will not interfere with BARMM polls, says OPAPRU exec

The national government assured it will not interfere with the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) set on September 14, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) said Thursday.

Speaking to the media in Pasig City, Presidential Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento said the move is part of the “self-determination” granted to BARMM under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

“Unang-una po, hindi mag-interfere. The very reason na ipinasa CAB, ‘yung hiling ng self-determination ng mga kapatid natin sa BARMM,” Sarmiento said.

(First is not to interfere with the BARMM elections. The very reason the CAB was passed is to grant the people in BARMM self-determination.)

“So, meaning to say, hindi makikialam ang kahit anong ahensya ng gobyerno sa election,” he added.

(So, meaning to say, any government agency should not interfere with the BARMM elections.)

Sarmiento made the statement in response to the queries of the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to OPAPRU on the BARMM polls.

He shared that OPAPRU met with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to ensure a smooth BARMM elections.

He also urged people in BARMM to cast their votes wisely.

“At dagdag, sa aming ginagawa ‘yung panawagan na piliin ‘yung kanilang iboboto sa paparating na eleksyon kasi po parliamentary sila. Hindi lang policymaker, hindi lang po legislator ang iboboto nila,” Sarmiento said.

(We are also calling the people in BARMM to wisely choose who they will vote for in the upcoming elections, because they will not only serve as policymakers and legislators.)

“Executive din po siya. Dalawang powers- legislative and executive- na ibibigay sa mga miyembro ng parliament,” he added.

(They also have executive powers. Each member of the parliament will have both legislative and executive powers.)

The OPAPRU oversees the implementation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which serves as the legal framework for the peace process in Mindanao.

This includes coordinating with national and Bangsamoro institutions in the transition to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), facilitating the normalization track, and supporting the decommissioning and reintegration of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants.

Comelec earlier said that 9,000 Philippine National Police personnel will be on standby to serve in the BARMM polls if teachers are unable to serve as election officers.

Comelec is also looking to proclaim the winners of the BARMM polls two days after the elections, since it is already automated.

This could prevent tampering with votes and ease the burden of transporting ballots from island municipalities, according to the poll body.

The 80-member BARMM parliament is composed of 40 political parties, 32 parliamentary districts, and 8 sectoral organizations.

In March, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the law resetting the first regular elections in the BARMM to September 14, 2026.

Republic Act 12317 states that “the first regular election for the Bangsamoro Government under this Organic Law shall be held on the second Monday of September 2026.”

To synchronize the BARMM parliamentary elections with the national and local elections, succeeding BARMM elections will be held on the second Monday of May 2031 and every three years thereafter.

The first elected BARMM officials will serve a five-year term starting from noon of October 30, 2026 to noon of June 30, 2031. —RF, GMA News