The first regional elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao saw parties linked to the former Moro Islamic Liberation Front lead early results, with the Bangsamoro Federalist Party winning nearly 36% of the party-list vote (16 of 80 seats) and the United Bangsamoro Justice Party taking just over 32% (15 seats). Voter turnout was about 84% of nearly 2.4 million registered voters. The new parliament will be sworn in on Oct. 30 and must elect a chief minister by a 41-vote majority; coalition talks are expected because no party won an outright majority.
Former Rebel-Linked Parties Lead in Bangsamoro’s First Regional Election
A group attacks a vehicle from an opposing group outside a school used as a polling center during the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections in Cotabato city, southern Philippines, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (AP Photo)(AP Photo/undefined)
Candidates aligned with parties that grew out of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) appeared to lead results from the first regional elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), official tallies showed Wednesday.
A Muslim woman voter shows the indelible ink on her fingers after voting the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections at a school in Lanao del Sur province, southern Philippines, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Richel V.Umel)(AP Photo/Richel V.Umel)
Election Results
Commission on Elections Chairman Erwin Garcia reported a final voter turnout of 84% of nearly 2.4 million registered voters. The autonomous region comprises five provinces, three cities and 63 villages.
An armored personnel carrier stays at a checkpoint during the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections at a school in Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur province, southern Philippines, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Richel V.Umel)(AP Photo/Richel V.Umel)
The Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP), headed by transitional Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, led the party-list vote with nearly 36% and secured 16 of the new regional parliament’s 80 seats. The United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), led by former interim chief minister and MILF chairman Ahod "Al Haj Murad" Ebrahim, followed with just over 32% and 15 seats. The election commission has released the names of district winners but has not yet published complete party affiliations for all district seats.
A Muslim woman votes at the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections at a school in Lanao del Sur province, southern Philippines, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Richel V.Umel)(AP Photo/Richel V.Umel)
What Happens Next
The newly elected members of parliament will be sworn in on Oct. 30. They will then elect the region’s chief minister, who serves as the head of the regional executive; a simple majority of 41 votes will be required to choose that leader. Because no single party won a majority, coalition-building will determine who controls the BARMM government.
A man attacks a vehicle from an opposing group outside a school used as a polling center during the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections in Cotabato city, southern Philippines, Monday, Sept. 14, 2026. (AP Photo)(AP Photo/undefined)
Background
The Bangsamoro autonomous region was created under a 2014 peace agreement that replaced an earlier, smaller autonomous arrangement with a larger, better-funded and more powerful polity. As part of that deal, roughly 40,000 MILF fighters were to be demobilized and given support to reintegrate into civilian life.
Violence in Mindanao has a long history: since the 1970s, an estimated 150,000 combatants and civilians have died in conflict across the southern Philippines, and development lagged behind the rest of the country. In 2017, militants linked to the Islamic State group laid siege to Marawi for five months, killing more than 1,100 people—mostly militants—and devastating large parts of the city.
Reactions
In a Facebook statement posted Monday, MILF chair Ahod "Al Haj Murad" Ebrahim welcomed the election as the start of "a new chapter towards a government with stronger leadership, true service, and focused on every community and village in our homeland." He said the result represents a transition from long struggle to democratic governance.
Note: Official results and party affiliations for all district winners remain subject to final certification by the Commission on Elections.
Help us improve.
