BARMM polls to usher strong bureaucracy, party system, says Ex-MILF peace panel head Mastura

The first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will pave the way for a strong bureaucracy and party system in the region’s government, according to former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panel head Datu Michael Mastura.

In a statement provided by the Presidential Communications Office on Sunday, Mastura underscored the importance of MILF’s participation in the historic parliamentary elections.

“We should use these (BARMM elections) as a reform movement. We are moving into a system that will discourage one-man rule. In exchange, we have the assembly or parliament. We would like to see a strong bureaucracy, coupled with a strong party system,” Mastura said.

“The important thing is that they (MILF) are seeking legitimacy. So, let us welcome them to the electoral process,” He added. “They have to know how to transition from an armed conflict group to a party seeking seats in a parliament, in a voting-rights way.”

The first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections will be on Monday, September 14, 50 years after the signing of the Tripoli Agreement on December 23, 1976, with Libya and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation helping facilitate negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

The process led to the 1996 Final Peace Agreement with the MNLF under President Fidel Ramos, while separate talks with the MILF culminated in the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the establishment of BARMM.

In July, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he is determined to ensure the successful conduct of the BARMM elections.

"We are determined that we will push through with the second Monday of September—in the coming September—and to finally achieve our dream, our goal of being able to say that we have a duly elected parliament in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao," Marcos said.

"This provides the BARMM Government sufficient time to implement the Court's decision while upholding the autonomy and democratic aspirations of the Bangsamoro people," he added.

The President also issued a proclamation declaring September 14, 2026 a special non-working day in BARMM in light of its first regular parliamentary elections.
— Mariel Celine Serquiña/RF, GMA News