OPAPRU urges BARMM voters to cast ballots in first parliamentary polls - GMA Network

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) has urged voters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to exercise their right to vote a day before the region holds its first parliamentary elections.

In a statement on Sunday, Presidential Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento said the parliamentary elections would pave the way for a more peaceful, progressive and inclusive BARMM.

“I, therefore, urge every voter across the region to exercise their right to vote. The time has now come for the people to establish and own the government they rightfully deserve,” Sarmiento said.

“Each ballot cast is a vote for the future of the region, and a peaceful yet powerful affirmation of their determination to chart the sociopolitical and socioeconomic future of the BARMM. The fate of the Bangsamoro rests in the hands of its people,” he added.

The Bangsamoro parliamentary elections are part of the region’s peace process, with voters choosing representatives to fill the 80 seats in the Bangsamoro Parliament.

The elections mark a major step in the transition from the interim government led by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to an elected regional administration.

Sarmiento also called for an organized and peaceful electoral process, saying maintaining peace during the elections is a “shared responsibility.”

“I appeal to all candidates, parties, and supporters to honor the will of the people and to keep tomorrow’s elections safe, peaceful, and credible. Let us work together to protect the sanctity of the elections and sustain the hard-won gains of the Bangsamoro peace process,” he said.

BARMM will hold its first parliamentary elections on September 14.

Under the Bangsamoro regional government, legislative power is vested in the Bangsamoro Parliament, while executive power is exercised by the Chief Minister.

Judicial power, meanwhile, is exercised by the Supreme Court, as well as by the Shari’ah and regular courts within the Bangsamoro territorial jurisdiction that form part of the Philippine judicial system.