BARMM stakeholders urged to unite ahead parliamentary polls

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The leadership of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) called on stakeholders to set aside differences brought about by the recent midterm elections and work together to ensure a seamless and peacful parliamentary elections in October.

Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua made the appeal as BARMM is preparing for its first-ever parliamentary elections, where a new chief minister and parliamentary members will be elected.

“In this coming October electoral excecise, we urge all stakeholders of the region to unite and work with the agencies of the national government in ensuring that the confusion and hostilities which unfolded during the midterm poll campaign period and on election day will not happen again,” said Macacua.

The chief minister issued the statement in a bid to address concerns over recent election-related hostilities and clarify the government’s position on maintaining law and order during the electoral process.

According to Macacua,  ensuring a smooth leadership transition and preserving the integrity of the electoral process remain his top priorities. He reiterated that BARMM is committed to strengthening democratic governance while upholding its autonomy.

With the elections approaching, religious leaders in BARMM are intensifying efforts to address the issue of “rido” or clan feuds, which reportedly continue to threaten community stability and civilian safety. 

Reports cited that “rido” — often fueled by land disputes, political rivalries, and long-standing family conflicts — has been a significant cause of violence and displacement in the region.

The United Nations Development Programme identifies rido as a major barrier to peace in BARMM.

Meanwhile, lawyer Benedicto Bacani, executive director of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance and lead convenor of the Integrated Electoral Monitoring Committee, said the group would recommend policies to ensure more credible, safe and peaceful elections in the future, based on their observations from recent polls.

“What we are looking at here as a response is, can we take preemptive action by making policy? (For example), it is not legal to have an assembly or massing of people in polling centers when they are not voters,” Bacani said.

Retired Colonel Dickson Hermoso, a security consultant for the IEMC, shared that many of the election-related incidents they have monitored during the May 12 elections involved intimidation, coercion, show of force by rival camps, and the use of armed groups.