Bangsamoro First Parliamentary Elections End in Hung Parliament

Approximately 2.4 million registered voters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) cast ballots on September 14, 2026, for the region's first regular parliamentary elections. The vote marks a transition from the appointed Bangsamoro Transition Authority to an elected government, fulfilling a 2014 peace accord between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. authorized the deployment of over 20,000 security personnel to maintain order, but violence marred the process. In Cotabato City, a shootout between rival political factions left three people dead and 15 wounded, while an improvised explosive device injured another person. Additionally, the Commission on Elections discovered pre-shaded ballots in 36 of 68 precincts in Maluso, Basilan. These irregularities prompted the commission to take direct control of both Cotabato City and Maluso to protect the integrity of the vote.

Unofficial results indicate a hung parliament, as no single party secured the 41 seats required for a majority in the 80-member body. The Bangsamoro Federalist Party and the United Bangsamoro Justice Party—both splinter groups of the MILF—emerged as the top vote-getters with approximately 32 and 29 seats, respectively. The BARMM Grand Coalition, a group of regional political dynasties, is now positioned as the likely kingmaker. Leaders from both primary parties have acknowledged that forming a coalition is now an unavoidable situation to establish a governing majority.