The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) and poll and security stakeholders have reiterated their commitment to ensure that the first-ever Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections and the 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) are safe, inclusive, and credible.
This commitment was made during a joint Command Conference convened by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and participated in by the OPAPRU, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and Philippine National Police (PNP) last April 28, the peace body said Wednesday.
OPAPRU Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento underscored the collaborative nature of the command conference and the major outcomes it hopes to achieve.
“This [Command Conference] gathering serves as a vital convergence platform bringing together key institutions to ensure the success of these elections, sustain the gains of the Bangsamoro peace process, and further strengthen democratic governance in the region,” he said.
Likewise, this strategic alliance aims to transform the security landscape of the region, shifting the focus from mere peacekeeping to actively guaranteeing a “fear-free” environment where every Bangsamoro voter can cast their ballot with confidence, marking a definitive milestone in the Mindanao peace process.
The conference focused on operational and security preparations for the historic BARMM Elections scheduled on Sept. 14 alongside the BSKE to be held on Nov. 2.
“These forthcoming elections are not ordinary political exercises. They form a crucial part of the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed in 2014 between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),” he said.
In March 2025, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed into law Republic Act 12317, resetting the first regular BARMM elections to the second Monday of September 2026.
The elections will cover the five provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Tawi-Tawi; Special Geographic Areas (SGAs) consisting of 63 barangays in North Cotabato; 32 districts; three cities; 105 municipalities; and 2,185 barangays.
To date, the BARMM has a total of 2,395,126 registered voters; 1,186 voting centers; 14,296 estimated established precincts; and 4,883 estimated clustered precincts.
The AFP will deploy five joint task forces in the region, while the PNP will also deploy close to 9,000 police officers with augmentation support from neighboring regions in the BARMM to ensure smooth and safe conduct of the first elections.
“The national government, through OPAPRU, remains fully committed to strengthening BARMM governance and aligning peace-building and normalization efforts with the electoral process. With strong partnerships, mutual respect, and unified action, I am confident that these elections will deepen public trust and contribute to lasting peace, stability, and inclusive development in the Bangsamoro,” Sarmiento said. (PNA)