Official list of candidates for Bangsamoro polls out by next week — Comelec

The official list of candidates running in the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is expected to be released next week, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Thursday.

“Asahan niyo po by next week ay mailalabas namin ang official listahan ng lahat ng kandidato na tatakbo sa parliamentary districts ng Bangsamoro,” Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia told reporters in Manila.

(Expect that by next week, we will release the official list of all candidates running in the parliamentary districts of the Bangsamoro.)

The BARMM parliamentary elections are scheduled for September 14, 2026.

Meanwhile, the three-day filing period for district representatives and party members is from May 5 to 7.

Garcia said the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) in BARMM has been peaceful so far.

“Sa kasalukuyan, tahimik na ginagawa pa rin ang filing ng candidacy. Sana po hanggang sa matapos mamayang hapon magtuloy-tuloy ang kapayapaan,” he said.

(The filing of candidacy has been peaceful so far. We hope that will continue until later in the afternoon.)

Comelec will also release all COCs and certificates of nominations on its website for voters to better know the candidates running in BARMM.

There are 16 political parties and 23 sectoral organizations accredited to file their candidacies for the upcoming BARMM polls.

The Comelec En Banc will then approve the official list of candidates on Wednesday.

The Philippine National Police said it has intensified security measures across BARMM amid the filing of COCs.

In a statement, the PNP said police visibility increased in key areas of the region, and additional checkpoints were set up to prevent any disruption to peace and order.

Around 9,000 cops will be deployed to secure the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections, according to the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BAR). —RF, GMA News