COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 09 August) – Voters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will shade only eight circles on their ballots during the 1st Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections on September 14.
The electoral exercise is historic not only because it is the first election in the BARMM seven years after its establishment but also because, for the first time in Philippine electoral history, the logos of political parties and photographs of candidates appear on the ballot, which measures 8.5 x 22.83 inches.
Voters will elect 80 Members of Parliament (MPs), but each will shade just eight circles: one for a regional parliamentary political party (RPPP), one for a district representative, and six for sectoral representatives—two for settler communities and one each for women, youth, Ulama, and traditional leaders. The two remaining sectoral seats reserved for Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIPs) will be chosen through tribal assemblies ahead of the September 14 polls.
A total of 631 candidates and nominees are vying for the 80 seats across 13 RPPPs, district, and sectoral positions. Notably, Moro Ako Party, whose registration was canceled by the Comelec on August 4 for misrepresentation, still appears on the ballot.
The ballot’s front page lists RPPPs with their names and logos, followed by district candidates with their photos and party affiliations. The back features sectoral candidates.
BARMM comprises the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, and Tawi-Tawi, plus the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, along with the Special Geographic Area (SGA) composed of eight new towns. The region has 2,393,202 registered voters.
Seat allocation for the 40 party representatives follows a proportional representation system, with parties needing at least 2.5% of total RPPP votes to qualify. The remaining seats include 32 district representatives and eight sectoral representatives. The selection process for NMIP seats will conclude before election day, with assemblies running until August 9 and a convention set for August 24 to September 4. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)
