PRE-CAMPAIGN STATEMENT
Cotabato City, July 30, 2026 

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) have concluded the first phase of their joint Technical Assessment Mission (TAM) ahead of the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Parliamentary Elections (BPE) scheduled for September 14, 2026. The elections mark a historic milestone in implementing the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB), the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), and the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). As the first elections held under the Bangsamoro parliamentary system, the region’s transition from an appointed Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to an elected Parliament is a defining step in the peace process and advancing democratic governance in the Bangsamoro.

From July 18 to 29, 2026, the mission deployed a team of 10 international election observers across all BARMM provinces — Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Tawi-Tawi — as well as to the Special Geographic Area (SGA), Cotabato City and Marawi City. 

The mission conducted more than 100 consultations with a broad range of electoral stakeholders, including representatives of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) – the Bangsamoro Electoral Office (BEO), Offices of the Provincial Election Supervisors (OPES), and Election Officers; local government units; security agencies; representatives from all 13 regional parliamentary political parties contesting in the elections as well as candidates; civil society organizations and citizen election observer groups; regional media groups; academic institutions; traditional and community leaders; representatives of women, youth, Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIPs), settler communities, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized sectors. The mission also held high-level consultations with representatives of the Bangsamoro peace process, including the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Implementing Panel, the former Government of the Philippines (GPH) Peace Negotiating Panel, and members of the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT), to better understand the implementation of the peace agreements and the significance of the forthcoming parliamentary elections in advancing the Bangsamoro transition.

Legal and Institutional Framework 

The legal and institutional framework governing the first regular BARMM Parliamentary Elections has continued to evolve since the region’s establishment in 2019. The Bangsamoro Electoral Code or Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 35 (BAA No. 35), enacted in 2023, along with related legislation, provided an important foundation for the elections. However, stakeholders consistently identified the repeated rescheduling of the elections – from May 2022 to May 2025, then October 2025, then March 2026 – as a significant source of uncertainty. Stakeholders broadly welcomed the enactment of Republic Act No. 12317 on March 25, 2026, which set the elections for the second Monday of September 2026, and generally expressed the hope that there would be no further postponements to the elections, emphasizing that maintaining legal certainty is essential to keeping the transition to an elected Bangsamoro Parliament on schedule.

The mission observed that the legal framework underwent significant changes as the BARMM prepared for its first regular parliamentary elections. Stakeholders raised concerns regarding recent developments affecting parliamentary districting, including the Supreme Court’s decision declaring both BAA No. 77 and its predecessor, BAA No. 58, unconstitutional; the subsequent enactment of BAA No. 86 in January 2026, apportioning the region’s 32 parliamentary district seats; and BAA No. 88, enacted in February 2026, amending key provisions of the Bangsamoro Electoral Code. While some of these measures addressed real legal and operational challenges, most stakeholders argued that successive amendments adopted so close to the first parliamentary elections have reduced legal certainty and altered institutional safeguards originally embedded in the BEC. The mission underscores that electoral legislation should promote institutional stability and public confidence, and that significant changes close to election day require careful consideration to ensure the consistent implementation of the electoral process. 

Political Participation and Environment  

Consultations revealed broad support for meaningful political participation by all sectors as essential to the legitimacy and credibility of these elections. The sectoral reserved seats in the BOL provided opportunities for the participation of women, youth, Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIPs), settler communities, traditional leaders, and the Ulama. However, the amendments introduced by BAA No. 88 shifted the manner of elections from sector-based elections for youth, women and settler communities, and sector-based assemblies for Ulama, and traditional leaders, to their election by direct plurality. Some stakeholders argued that this change departed from the spirit of the BOL. Moreover, persons with disability, persons deprived of liberty, senior citizens/older persons and internally displaced persons raised structural and practical barriers to their participation.

The political environment has become increasingly active as regional parliamentary political parties, candidates, and sectoral nominees prepare for the official campaign period. Stakeholders noted evolving political dynamics, including differing political alignments among the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which some viewed as having implications for political cohesion and the broader Bangsamoro peace process. At the same time, stakeholders observed that recent amendments to the Bangsamoro Electoral Code, which lowered the membership requirement for the registration of regional parliamentary political parties from 10,000 to 5,000 members and reduced the electoral threshold for parliamentary representation from 4% to 2.5%, have contributed to a more competitive electoral environment. As a result, 13 regional parliamentary political parties are contesting the first regular BARMM Parliamentary Elections, compared with the seven parties that had initially qualified under the previous legal framework. Several stakeholders observed that these developments could influence political alliances, party strategies, and campaign dynamics as the elections approach.

Security and Election Preparations 

The mission observed extensive preparations by the COMELEC, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP) through the Police Regional Office–BARMM (PRO BAR), and other government agencies through the Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC) and related inter-agency coordination mechanisms. These efforts include joint security planning, threat and risk assessments, intelligence sharing, contingency planning, and operational coordination to support the peaceful, orderly, and credible conduct of the elections. Stakeholders generally expressed confidence in the commitment of the COMELEC, security agencies, and other relevant institutions to conduct peaceful and credible elections, while recognizing that significant operational, logistical and security challenges remain. Stakeholders acknowledged that security conditions vary across BARMM, with localized concerns related to longstanding conflict dynamics, clan rivalries, local terrorist groups, election-related violence, and the potential for political tensions to intensify as the campaign period progresses.

Electoral preparations are also progressing broadly in accordance with the electoral calendar. Stakeholders acknowledged the continuing efforts of the COMELEC, the Bangsamoro Electoral Office (BEO), and election officials at the regional and local levels in advancing operational and logistical preparations, including election planning, training of electoral personnel, voter information initiatives, and inter-agency coordination.

Priority Recommendation: Voter Education 

As the official campaign period begins, the mission recommends that voter education be an immediate priority. The COMELEC through their Education and Information Department and Bangsamoro Electoral Office, Bangsamoro Information Office (BIO), regional parliamentary political parties, media and civil society organizations are urged to intensify voter education efforts, given the introduction of the parliamentary system, the new parliamentary districts, and the revised process for electing most sectoral representatives. Voters should receive clear, accurate, and accessible information through community-based initiatives, with particular attention to geographically-isolated and marginalized communities. The production and dissemination of information materials in prominent local languages, and of visual aids such as maps and infographics, could significantly contribute to voter awareness.

ANFREL and NDI international long-term analysts and observers will continue to assess campaign developments, as well as election day, and the immediate post-election period. The mission will maintain particular emphasis on its two thematic areas of focus: political participation and security in the elections. Its assessment will be independent, impartial, and evidence-based, and conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, which both ANFREL and NDI have endorsed.

The findings contained in this statement are preliminary and reflect information gathered during the pre-campaign period from July 18-29, 2026. They do not constitute a final assessment of the electoral process. The joint ANFREL-NDI Technical Assessment Mission will issue further public statements and a final report as the mission progresses.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Mr. MJ Catequista, Program Associate for Outreach and Communication, mj@anfrel.org
Asian Network for Free Elections, anfrel@anfrel.org

Download the full statement here: “Pre-campaign Statement: Joint ANFREL–NDI Technical Assessment Mission 2026 BARMM Parliamentary Elections“