Voters cast ballots in landmark elections in Philippines’ Muslim-majority region
80 seats at stake in elections that will determine members of parliament, region’s highest legislative body
MANILA, Philippines (MNTV) – Voters in the Muslim-majority Bangsamoro autonomous region in the southern Philippines began casting ballots Monday in its first parliamentary elections.
Polls opened at 7 a.m. local time (2300GMT Sunday) and will run through 7 p.m. (1100GMT Monday), the state-run Philippine News Agency reported.
Some 700 candidates from 13 regional political parties are vying for seats in the Bangsamoro parliament, the region’s highest legislative body.
Initial results are expected later in the evening local time.
Nearly 2.4 million voters are eligible to cast ballots in elections seen as a crucial step toward self-governance and lasting peace after decades of armed conflict.
A total of 80 seats are at stake. These include 40 political party representatives, 32 district representatives and eight sectoral representatives.
The elections will use automated counting machines previously deployed during the May 2025 midterm elections in the Philippines.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is home to around 5 million people, the majority of whom are Muslims.
It covers five provinces, three cities and 63 villages across eight special geographic area clusters.
In January 2019, voters approved the Bangsamoro Organic Law in a referendum, paving the way for the establishment of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority to govern the region following decades of resistance by the Murad Ebrahim-led Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
The elections were initially planned for 2022 but were delayed four times until Monday.
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