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Bangsamoro holds first parliamentary election, 80% turnout

By Drooid · Sep 15, 2026, 11:14 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Bangsamoro Party Leads

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region held its first parliamentary election on September 14, 2026.
Bangsamoro Federalist Party led the partial count with 632,944 votes.
United Bangsamoro Justice Party received 593,256 votes, trailing the BFP.
Turnout reached about 80 percent as roughly 1.8 million of 2.39 million voters cast ballots.
Five people were killed and 19 injured in election-related violence, mainly in Cotabato City.

Summary

Onishi Leads Observation

Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Yohei Onishi led Japan’s Bangsamoro election-observer mission.
Onishi visited Sero Central, Rojas and Notre Dame Village elementary schools to observe voting.
He inspected COMELEC Command Center at Al Nor Hotel and Awang Canvassing Center.
Onishi met Major-General (Ret.) Francisco Ariel A. Felicidario III, co-chair of Joint Peace and Security Committee.
He discussed Japan-funded voter-education efforts with LENTE executive director Atty. Lona “Ona” Anne V. Caritos.

History

Historical Context

The peace process started with the Framework Agreement on October 15 2012 and peaked with the Comprehensive Agreement on March 27 2014, signed by President Benigno Aquino III, MILF chief Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and Malaysia’s Najib Razak. It transferred 58 of 81 powers to Bangsamoro and allocated PHP30 billion for development. The 2026 parliamentary election, contested by Bangsamoro Federalist Party and observed by Japanese expert Yohei Onishi, tests the autonomy framework’s goal.

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Bangsamoro Party Leads

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region held its first parliamentary election on September 14, 2026.
Bangsamoro Federalist Party led the partial count with 632,944 votes.
United Bangsamoro Justice Party received 593,256 votes, trailing the BFP.
Turnout reached about 80 percent as roughly 1.8 million of 2.39 million voters cast ballots.
Five people were killed and 19 injured in election-related violence, mainly in Cotabato City.

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