FIVE WINNERS PROCLAIMED IN LANAO DEL SUR
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has proclaimed five of the nine winning parliamentary district representatives in Lanao del Sur, marking another major step in the transition toward an elected Bangsamoro government.
The proclamations came after the September 14, 2026 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE), the first regular parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Reports from the Philippine News Agency, Inquirer, MindaNews and ABS-CBN confirmed that five of the nine Lanao del Sur district seats had been proclaimed as of September 15.
WHY THE LANAO DEL SUR RESULTS MATTER
Lanao del Sur is one of the most electorally significant provinces in BARMM and has nine parliamentary districts under the current districting law.
The province was originally set to have eight district seats under an earlier configuration, but the current distribution provides nine seats following changes to the Bangsamoro parliamentary districts.
The province is also the largest voting bloc in mainland BARMM, accounting for roughly 30% of the region’s registered voters, according to MindaNews.
That makes the eventual composition of its delegation particularly important as political parties and independent representatives prepare to form the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament.
THE FIRST REGULAR BARMM PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION
The September 14 polls were historic for another reason: they marked the transition from the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to a Parliament whose members will be chosen through regular elections.
The Bangsamoro Parliament has 80 seats in total:
- 40 party representatives
- 32 parliamentary district representatives
- 8 sectoral representatives
Voters in the parliamentary elections selected a regional parliamentary political party, one district representative and sectoral choices under the electoral system established for BARMM.
The elected officials are expected to take office on October 30, 2026, beginning an extended five-year initial term designed to synchronize subsequent Bangsamoro elections with the national and local election calendar.
FOUR LANAO DEL SUR SEATS STILL AWAIT PROCLAMATION
While five district representatives have already been proclaimed, four of Lanao del Sur’s nine parliamentary district seats remain pending proclamation as of the latest reports.
The remaining proclamations will depend on the completion of canvassing and the resolution of any procedural or election-related matters that may need to be addressed before Comelec can formally declare the winners.
This means the province’s final parliamentary delegation is not yet complete.
A HIGH-STAKES ELECTION FOR BARMM
The Lanao del Sur results are part of a much larger political transition across BARMM.
The first regular parliamentary elections were viewed as a critical test of the region’s ability to move from an interim political structure toward an elected system of governance following years of peace negotiations between the Philippine government and Moro groups.
GMA News noted that the election represents an important milestone in the long-running Bangsamoro peace process, which ultimately led to the creation of BARMM and the replacement of the former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The new Parliament will have broad responsibilities, including passing regional laws, approving the Bangsamoro budget and exercising legislative powers provided under the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
POLITICAL PARTIES NOW FACE A NEW TEST
The district results will also shape the balance of power inside the incoming Parliament.
MindaNews reported that the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) was designated by Comelec as the dominant majority regional parliamentary political party, while the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP) was designated the dominant minority party.
Other political parties and coalitions, including the Bangsamoro Grand Coalition, also fielded candidates across the region.
The eventual combination of district winners and party-representation results will determine how alliances develop once the new Parliament begins its work.
MORE THAN AN ELECTION — A TEST OF THE BANGSAMORO TRANSITION
The significance of the September 14 election extends beyond individual victories.
For BARMM, the polls represent a crucial test of whether the region can translate years of peace agreements and autonomy-building into a functioning elected government.
Comelec and security agencies had prepared for a challenging election environment, with authorities identifying 108 election areas of concern across BARMM. Lanao del Sur had the highest number of areas classified under the red category in Comelec’s pre-election assessment.
Despite those challenges, the proclamation of the first group of winners moves the region closer to completing its new parliamentary leadership.
THE NEXT QUESTION: WHO WILL COMPLETE THE LANAO DEL SUR DELEGATION?
With five of nine district representatives already proclaimed, attention now turns to the four remaining Lanao del Sur seats and the broader distribution of power in the first elected Bangsamoro Parliament.
The results will help determine who gets a seat at the table when the new Parliament begins its historic term.
For Lanao del Sur, however, the election is about more than nine individual seats—it is about who will represent one of BARMM’s most politically influential provinces during the region’s transition to a fully elected government.
Leave a Reply