BARMM, Philippines — Following the historic and first-ever Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Election held on September 14, which was participated in by more than two million registered voters.
All 80 new members of the Parliament have now been proclaimed by the Regional Board of Canvassers and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) as of yesterday, September 16.
The newly elected members are scheduled to assume office and begin their term on October 30, 2026.
One of their most important responsibilities will be the selection of the Chief Minister, or head of the BARMM Government.
The Chief Minister will be elected by the 80 members of the Parliament.
According to COMELEC Chairperson George Erwin Garcia, the commission will no longer have a role in this process, as the selection of the Chief Minister is outside the commission’s jurisdiction.
The winning candidate for Chief Minister must secure at least 41 votes, representing a majority of the 80-member Parliament.
The parliamentary voting process is said to be broadly similar to how the House of Representatives and the Senate elect their respective leaders, such as the House Speaker and the Senate President.
The 80-member Parliament is composed of 40 party representatives, 32 district representatives, and eight sectoral representatives, based on the results of the election.
Of the party representative seats, 16 went to the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP), which won the largest number of seats in the Parliament following the election.
The United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) followed with 15 seats, while the BARMM Grand Coalition (BGC) secured eight seats and the Raayat Democratic Party–Bangsamoro People’s Democratic Party (Raayat-BPDP) won one seat.
For the district representative seats, the BFP won 15 seats, followed by the UBJP with nine and the Serbisyong Inklusibo Alyansang Progresibo (SIAP) with six.
The Progresibong Bangsamoro Party (PBP) and Al Ittihad-UKB each won one seat.
Aside from electing the Chief Minister, the Parliament will also elect its Speaker and organize its committees, among other responsibilities.
Meanwhile, aside from electing the Chief Minister of the BARMM, the Parliament will play a central role in crafting programs, laws and policies aimed at promoting peace, unity, and development throughout the Bangsamoro region.