(From left) Amina Rasul, president of Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy, Teresita Quintos Deles, former presidential adviser on the Peace Process, and Josua Mata, secretary general of Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa during the Sept. 8 press conference of Duyog Bangsamoro at the University of the Philippines Diliman. (Photo by Vincent Galaura)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (September 11) — A broad civil society coalition has urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to respect the autonomy of the Bangsamoro and prevent national political actors from influencing the outcome of the region’s first parliamentary elections on Sept. 14.
Duyog Bangsamoro, which describes itself as a national, broad and independent multisectoral coalition, said the elections offer a rare opportunity to advance the peace process despite concerns over political patronage and violence.
“We are all systems go for the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections this September 14, a long-delayed, yet essential milestone in the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and genuine peace in the region,” the coalition said in a statement Tuesday, Sept. 8, which was re-shared by opposition coalition Tindig Pilipinas Wednesday.
The coalition said the differences between the Bangsamoro electoral process and national politics provide grounds for hope, citing the region’s electoral and local governance codes, which contain anti-dynasty provisions, as well as its gender quota for nominees of regional political parties.
It also cited the participation of Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples in the selection of two sectoral representatives to the Bangsamoro Parliament and the use of proportional representation, which it said places greater emphasis on political parties and platforms rather than individual personalities.
But Duyog Bangsamoro warned that the region’s experiment in autonomous governance could still be undermined by national political intervention.
“We call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as both President of the Philippines and Chairman of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, to prevent any effort by actors outside the region to influence the outcome of the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections for or against any specific regional political party,” it said.
The coalition also called on Marcos to assure all regional parties that national government support for the Bangsamoro’s regional and local governments and implementation of the CAB will continue regardless of which party wins.
Concerns over BTA appointments
Duyog Bangsamoro said perceptions of national government interference have been fueled by what it described as “irregular appointments” to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) last year.
The coalition said those appointments contributed to deeper factionalism within the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), although it maintained that regional support for the CAB remains intact.
The group said its recent meetings with Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua and MILF Chair Murad Ebrahim, as well as its observation of a parliamentary electoral debate attended by all 13 regional political parties, showed continued commitment to the peace agreement.
All 13 parties signed the Duyog Bangsamoro Covenant committing to free, fair and peaceful elections and continued implementation of the CAB regardless of the election outcome, the coalition said.
Duyog Bangsamoro also urged national government agencies to support the Commission on Elections (Comelec) during the final preparations for the polls.
It called on the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police to maintain political neutrality and professionalism.
More than 10,000 Philippine Army personnel have been deployed to the BARMM for election security, according to reports last week.
“It is important that these forces be mobilized for the sole purpose of securing free, fair and peaceful elections,” the coalition said.
It also called on MILF members and supporters to avoid escalating political divisions and urged the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) to stand down during the elections.
Push for post-election normalization
Beyond the Sept. 14 polls, the coalition called on the national government and MILF to resume work on the remaining normalization commitments under the CAB after the elections.
These include the decommissioning of remaining BIAF combatants, amnesty and socioeconomic support for former combatants, redeployment of AFP personnel assigned to the region, clearing mines and unexploded ordnance, dismantling private armed groups and establishing a national transitional justice program.
Duyog Bangsamoro said the success of the parliamentary elections should ultimately be measured not only by whether voting is peaceful and credible, but by whether the process strengthens the Bangsamoro people’s ability to exercise genuine political autonomy.
It urged Filipinos outside the region to stand with the Bangsamoro in protecting what it called their “hard-fought” right to autonomy.
