With the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections drawing near, Secretary Mel Senen S. Sarmiento of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) said ensuring that voters can freely choose their leaders without fear or intimidation has become one of the government's biggest tasks as it moves to complete the political track of the peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Sarmiento said the Sept. 14 polls are more than an electoral exercise because they are part of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), whose political track calls for the election of a regular Bangsamoro Parliament before the government and the MILF can proceed toward an Exit Agreement.

“The election is included in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro under the political track. We continue to closely monitor developments and collaborate with the Commission on Elections,” Sarmiento told reporters in a press conference at the OPAPRU headquarters in Pasig City on Friday, July 31.

He said the OPAPRU regularly coordinates with Comelec and has also taken part in meetings with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) to prepare for the historic polls.

“The President's marching order is to ensure that the people of the Bangsamoro are free to choose who they want to vote for in a transparent, honest, and secure election,” he said.

“He instructed all members of the Armed Forces to make sure the people of the Bangsamoro can freely choose the leaders they believe deserve to lead them because this is a very important election,” he added.

The elections are a key deliverable under the Normalization Program of the CAB, which was signed by the government and the MILF in 2014 to end decades of armed conflict in Mindanao.

President Marcos Jr. said in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 27 that the Bangsamoro region is now ready to hold its first regular parliamentary elections, describing the polls as a crucial step toward the signing of an Exit Agreement between the government and the MILF.

Sarmiento said the Bangsamoro people had long sought the right to govern themselves through democratic means.

“They asked for this law because it embodies self-determination. Our Republic and our Congress granted that aspiration. We hope that by electing the right leaders in the forthcoming election, they will finally be able to pursue programs that will truly benefit the Bangsamoro people,” he said.

“"We want to see the BARMM not only rise from poverty but also become a model for every region in the Philippines. Unity is important. We must remain faithful to the Constitution and its equal protection clause. No one in the Bangsamoro should be left behind,” the peace adviser noted.

Republic Act No. 12317 moved the first regular Bangsamoro parliamentary elections to Sept. 14, 2026 and extended the transition period of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority. The law paved the way for the region's first elected parliament after several postponements.

Sarmiento said the election also carries the burden of preserving peace in the region.

“We are not only talking about an election. We are also talking about peace. This is our chance to achieve what we call positive peace or sustainable peace,” he said.

He also warned against armed individuals accompanying campaign activities.

“There are people going around carrying candidates' numbers while openly carrying firearms. The BARMM is not exempt from the law. Our voters must not be intimidated,” he said.

Sarmiento spoke about the Bangsamoro elections as he marked his first 100 days in office. He was appointed as the Presidential Peace Adviser on April 21, replacing retired military chief turned chief peacemaker Carlito Galvez Jr.

He vowed to complete the government's remaining commitments under signed peace agreements, including those involving the Bangsamoro, Cordillera, and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

“As I mark my first 100 days in office, we will continue to pursue the government's remaining deliverables in all signed peace agreements as instructed by President Marcos,” Sarmiento said.