BARMM political coalition wants peaceful 2025 regional polls

COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Grand Coalition (BGC) have pledged support for the efforts of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to hold a peaceful and credible BARMM parliamentary elections next year.

Radio reports on Tuesday said that Marcos met the mayors and provincial governors in BARMM at the Diamond Hotel in Manila on Monday and talked to them about the importance of the first-ever regional polls in the region next year and the need for multi-sector cooperation in protecting the exercise from potential security challenges.

The president then reportedly told the local executives from across BARMM, covering Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, that he is optimistic that the parliamentary polls in the autonomous region will be peaceful, orderly and transparent.

The BGC’s favored candidate for chief minister of BARMM, Sulu Gov. Hadji Abdusakur Mahail Tan, told reporters on Tuesday morning that they do not have any problem supporting the plans of the president on how to have peaceful BARMM parliamentary elections next year.

“Our coalition shall positively respond to the call of President Marcos for a peaceful and successful parliamentary electoral exercise in the Bangsamoro region next year,” Tan said.

The BGC is led by Tan, Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman, Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr., former Sultan Kudarat Gov. Suharto Mangudadatu, who is now director of the Technical Skills Education and Development Authority, his spouse, Maguindanao del Sur Gov. Mariam Sangki Mangudadatu and other local executives in the autonomous region identified with Nur Misuari, the founder of the Moro National Liberation Front.

They named Tan as their anointed candidate for chief minister of BARMM during a political sortie in Maimbung town in Sulu last month.