Philippines’ Muslim-majority Bangsamoro region votes for first parliament

However, deadly violence marred the elections one day before the polls open in the southern Philippine region.Published On 14 Sep 202614 Sep 2026Nearly 2.4 million voters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in the southern Philippines are casting their ballots in the first parliamentary elections since the region was established in 2019.Monday’s historic vote is seen as a crucial step towards self-governance after decades of insurgency and violence in the Muslim-majority region.There are 80 seats up for grabs in the elections that will determine members of parliament, the region’s legislative body. These include 40 political party representatives, 32 district representatives and eight sectoral representatives.The region’s chief minister, who heads the executive branch, will be elected by parliament in its first session.Election officials said they were targeting a turnout of at least 80 percent after polling was postponed for several years.However, deadly violence marred the elections one day before the polls opened.The chairman of the Commission on Elections, George Garcia, reported on Monday that Cotabato City had been put under the commission’s control...