BARMM's First Parliament Election: Legal Framework and Business Impact

1What happened: an elected Parliament replaces the transition authority

After three postponements, a Supreme Court intervention and a late-hour districting law, voters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elected the region's first regular Parliament on 14 September 2026. According to the Bangsamoro Information Office (16 September 2026), the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Regional Board of Canvassers proclaimed all 80 members shortly after midnight on 16 September, reporting a turnout of 2,018,478 voters, or 84.34 percent.

No single party reached the 41 seats needed for a majority. On 30 October 2026, the date fixed by law for the new members to assume office, the Parliament held its inaugural session in Cotabato City. As The Manila Times reported on 30 October 2026, members elected Abdulraof Macacua of the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP), who had served as interim Chief Minister, as the region's first regular Chief Minister by a vote of 51 to 27, with two Indigenous Peoples representatives abstaining. Amer Zakaria Rakim was elected Speaker by the same margin. The 27-member minority, led by the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), objected on the floor to the absence of its nominees from the slate for other leadership posts.

The convening of the elected Parliament ended the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), which had governed the region as an interim body since 2019. For companies that contract with regional ministries, hold regional permits or plan investments in the region, this is the first change from an appointed to an elected regional government, and it brings new political leadership, a new legislative agenda and a fixed term.

• 80 seats
  40 party, 32 district and 8 sectoral and Indigenous Peoples seats
• 84.34%
  turnout reported by the regional canvassers
• 51–27
  vote electing the first regular Chief Minister on 30 October 2026
• 30 June 2031
  end of the first elected Parliament's term under RA 12317

2How the election was reset, step by step

The Bangsamoro Organic Law (Republic Act No. 11054) originally contemplated a first regular election in 2022. Congress moved it twice, the second time to 13 October 2025. That date did not hold. On 30 September 2025 the Supreme Court, acting on petitions questioning the region's districting law, struck down two regional districting acts and ordered COMELEC to hold the polls no later than 31 March 2026, as Manila Bulletin reported on 1 October 2025. COMELEC then scheduled the vote for 30 March 2026, but that date was also deferred after the regional Parliament passed a replacement districting law only in January 2026, leaving too little time under the registration rules.

Congress settled the date by statute. Republic Act No. 12317, signed on 25 March 2026, fixed the first regular election on the second Monday of September 2026 and synchronised later BARMM elections with national and local polls starting in May 2031.

1. 2023-03-08
   Bangsamoro Electoral Code enacted. Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 35 is approved and signed (reported 9 March 2023).
2. 2024-09-09
   Supreme Court excludes Sulu from BARMM. Motions for reconsideration denied with finality on 26 November 2024.
3. 2025-07-30
   Executive Order No. 91. Sulu is placed under Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula) for regional administration.
4. 2025-09-30
   Supreme Court voids BAA Nos. 58 and 77. The 13 October 2025 vote is postponed; polls ordered by 31 March 2026.
5. 2026-01-20
   BAA No. 86 signed. A new 32-district map is enacted.
6. 2026-03-25
   RA 12317 signed. Election set for 14 September 2026; terms run to 30 June 2031.
7. 2026-09-14
   Election day. All members proclaimed on 16 September.
8. 2026-10-30
   Parliament convenes. Chief Minister and Speaker elected; the BTA's interim mandate ends.

3The legal framework: which rules govern the vote and the new government

Four layers of law shaped the election. Readers should keep them distinct, because they come from different authorities and can be changed in different ways.

The Electoral Code

Under the Electoral Code, as summarised by BusinessWorld on 9 March 2023, the 80-member Parliament is split into 50 percent party representatives, 40 percent district representatives and 10 percent sectoral representatives. A regional party needs at least 10,000 members who are residents and registered voters, spread across several provinces and cities with local chapters. A Bangsamoro Electoral Office runs electoral activities in the region under the direct control and supervision of the national COMELEC. In practice, this means national election law and COMELEC procedure apply alongside the regional code, so disputes have generally gone through COMELEC divisions and the COMELEC en banc, with recourse to the Supreme Court.

The calendar

Under COMELEC Resolution No. 11214, as reported by the Daily Tribune on 26 April 2026, certificates of candidacy and party nominee lists were filed on 5–7 May 2026, the election period (with its firearms ban) ran from 16 July to 29 September, the campaign ran from 30 July to 12 September, and statements of contributions and expenditures were due by 14 October 2026. Campaign-finance reporting and the election-period firearms ban worked much as they do in national polls, with COMELEC enforcing both.

Terms and the end of the transition

GMA News' 25 March 2026 summary of RA 12317 states that the first elected officials serve from noon of 30 October 2026 to noon of 30 June 2031, that Parliament holds its regular session the day after assumption, and that the BTA continued as the interim government until then. From 2031, elected officials will take office on 30 June following their election, matching the national calendar. For a broader view of how the autonomy framework has been implemented, see our article on BBL implementation and Bangsamoro governance.

4Districting: why two maps were struck down and a third was adopted

The 32 district seats were the most contested part of the framework. The region's first districting act, BAA No. 58 of 2024, was drawn when Sulu was still counted as part of BARMM and assigned it seven districts. After Sulu was excluded, the Parliament passed BAA No. 77, the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Redistricting Act of 2025, to reallocate those seats.

Petitioners challenged BAA No. 77, and the Supreme Court ruled on 30 September 2025 in G.R. Nos. E-02219 and E-02235. According to the Manila Bulletin's report of the decision, the Court held that BAA No. 77:

• violated Section 5 of the Voter's Registration Act, which bars changes to precincts once the election period has started; and
• breached the Organic Law's requirement that districts consist of adjacent and adjoining areas as far as practicable, because some local government units in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte and Cotabato City were placed in non-contiguous districts.

The Court also declared BAA No. 58 unconstitutional, reasoning that it rested on a framework that predated Sulu's removal and could not be revived by voiding its replacement. The decision was made immediately executory. The BTA was ordered to set new districts by 30 October 2025, and COMELEC to hold the polls by 31 March 2026.

The regional Parliament missed the October 2025 deadline and passed the replacement measure in a special session in January 2026. Manila Bulletin reported on 20 January 2026 that BAA No. 86 was signed that day, creating 32 districts: Lanao del Sur (9), Maguindanao del Norte (5), Maguindanao del Sur (5), Basilan (4), Tawi-Tawi (4), Cotabato City (3) and the Special Geographic Area (2). Because the law came less than 120 days before the March 2026 date, COMELEC deferred the vote, and Congress reset it through RA 12317. As of 6 November 2026, the authors did not find a reported Supreme Court ruling invalidating BAA No. 86, and the September 2026 election was conducted under it.

5Sulu: outside BARMM and under Region IX

In Province of Sulu v. Medialdea (G.R. No. 242255), the Supreme Court decided on 9 September 2024 that Sulu is not part of BARMM because its voters rejected the Organic Law in the 2019 plebiscite. In its Resolution of 26 November 2024, the Court denied with finality the motions for partial reconsideration filed by the Office of the Solicitor General, the regional government and other parties, and declared the ruling final and immediately executory. The Court reasoned that the Constitution treats provinces and cities as separate voting units and that only those voting in favour may be included in the autonomous region.

The Court invoked the doctrine of operative fact: acts taken in good faith in reliance on Sulu's earlier status are to be recognised and not summarily nullified, and programs and projects are to be validated, adapted or concluded in a way that limits disruption to public interest. Sulu remains a province, and the Court noted it may seek inclusion again through lawful processes.

The executive implemented the ruling through Executive Order No. 91, signed 30 July 2025, which places Sulu under Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula) for regional administration, planning and budgeting, provides for a phased transition through FY 2025, and sets up a technical working group chaired by the Budget Secretary to oversee the transfer of functions, properties and personnel. A joint DBM, BARMM interior ministry and OPAPRU release later stated that the Office of the President authorised the Bangsamoro Government to fund and implement Sulu's priority programs for FY 2026, subject to budgeting, accounting and auditing rules, and that a DBM-DILG joint memorandum circular on personnel movements was being prepared.

6Pre-election disputes and what remains open

Several cases arose during the campaign. As the Inquirer reported on 29 August 2026, the COMELEC en banc on 27 August affirmed the cancellation of the certificate of candidacy of Anwar Alamada, a UBJP candidate for Maguindanao del Sur's fifth district, after a rival BFP candidate alleged that he misrepresented his residency. COMELEC found that he had not proven residency in the barangay he declared. His lawyer said the camp followed the legal process and would elevate the case to the Supreme Court. The same report said COMELEC cancelled the registration of Moro Ako Party as a regional party, finding that it misrepresented having chapters across the region; a party member said it would also go to the Supreme Court.

As of 6 November 2026, the authors could not confirm whether either petition was filed or decided, or whether any post-proclamation protest is pending against an elected member. These are matters of public record that should be checked with the Supreme Court and COMELEC dockets. The forum and deadlines for contesting a parliamentary seat depend on the Electoral Code, its implementing rules and COMELEC procedure, and should be confirmed for each case. Our explainer on evidence standards in election protests sets out the general principles.

Leadership positions were also contested within Parliament. The Manila Times reported that the 27-member minority objected to the slate for deputy chief minister, deputy speaker, majority floor leader and secretary-general. These are internal parliamentary matters, but they indicate that the first elected government starts with a working majority rather than a single-party mandate.

7What businesses in BARMM should review now

The move from an appointed transition body to an elected government does not, by itself, cancel existing contracts, permits or regional laws. The Bangsamoro Government continues as the regional government; what changes is who leads it and which priorities it pursues. Regional laws passed by the BTA, such as the Electoral Code and the districting act, stay in force until amended or repealed by the new Parliament. Even so, transitions are when signatory authority, procurement timelines and policy direction most often shift.

Contracts with regional ministries and offices

Contracts signed by BTA-era ministries remain obligations of the Bangsamoro Government, subject to their terms and to budgeting and auditing rules. Expect changes in ministers and other officials as the new Chief Minister forms a cabinet. Check who now holds signing authority for amendments, acceptances and payment approvals, and whether pending procurements will proceed on the original schedule. Delays at this stage are often administrative, not legal, but they can affect cash flow.

Permits and local registrations

Day-to-day business permits are issued by the city or municipality where the business operates. Regional regulators and ministries issue sector-specific clearances. Renewals should continue in the ordinary course; companies should watch for any new regional fee or tax measures from the elected Parliament and for changes in ministry leadership that affect processing.

Investors and counterparties

For investors, the most practical changes are a fixed term to 2031 and synchronised elections after that, which give a clearer planning horizon than the repeated resets of 2022–2026. Foreign-ownership limits, corporate registration and national incentive rules continue to apply in the region, as discussed in our overview of political developments and business confidence.

• List contracts, MOAs and accreditations with Bangsamoro ministries and note the named signatories and approving offices.
• Confirm with each contracting office whether signatories or approval routes have changed since 30 October 2026.
• For work in Sulu, confirm whether the obligation sits with the Bangsamoro Government, a national agency or the provincial government under EO No. 91.
• Track bills filed in the new Parliament on revenue, local fees, procurement and investment.
• Keep permit renewal calendars unchanged unless the issuing office announces otherwise in writing.
• Avoid campaign-period or partisan commitments in corporate communications; neutrality reduces election-law and reputational risk.

8Key takeaways

• The first regular Bangsamoro Parliament election was held on 14 September 2026 under RA 12317; members were proclaimed on 16 September and took office on 30 October 2026.
• Abdulraof Macacua was elected the first regular Chief Minister by a 51–27 vote, and the Bangsamoro Transition Authority's interim mandate ended.
• The current 32-district map comes from BAA No. 86 (January 2026), after the Supreme Court voided BAA Nos. 58 and 77 on 30 September 2025.
• Sulu is outside BARMM by final Supreme Court ruling and sits under Region IX through EO No. 91, with transition funding arrangements continuing into FY 2026.
• Existing contracts and permits continue, but signatories, priorities and procurement timing may change under the new government.

Abanto Law Firm advises companies and individuals on Philippine election rules and on contracts and corporate compliance involving regional and national government counterparties. If your business has contracts, accreditations or pending disputes affected by the Bangsamoro transition or Sulu's change of region, our election law practice and corporate law team can review your position. You can reach us through our contact page.

9Frequently asked questions