7 | Global election monitors move in; Army and MILF smoothen tensions ahead of historic polls

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With the eyes of the world on the Bangsamoro, 108 global monitors have deployed while the Philippine military and MILF commanders iron out local tensions to guarantee security just two days ahead of the region's historic first parliamentary elections.

A total of 108 international observers from 16 organizations and delegations have arrived to monitor the historic first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections, scheduled just two days from now [12 Sept 2026].

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) confirmed the deployment, which includes delegates from the International Republican Institute (IRI), the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), the National Democratic Institute (NDI), and the embassies of Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the State of Palestine. The international monitors will oversee voting centers across the BARMM and adjacent areas to ensure the integrity of the regions' first regular parliamentary polls.

In a bid to resolve local tensions ahead of the vote, government security officials held a high-level dialogue yesterday with Moro Islamic Liberation Front–Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (MILF-BIAF) leaders at Camp Bilal in Munai, Lanao del Norte. Facilitated by OPAPRU, the meeting targeted structural misunderstandings between state forces (AFP and PNP) and MILF commanders.

The dialogue brought together key peace actors, including Sec. Mel Senen Sarmiento, Presidential Peace Adviser and Chair of the GPH Peace Implementing Panel; MP Abdullah “Commander Bravo” Macapaar, Bangsamoro Parliament Member and Commander of the MILF-BIAF Northwestern Mindanao Front; Brig. Gen. Bernardo Taqueban, Commander of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade; David B. Diciano, Head of the GPH Joint Normalization Committee; and some local partners.

The panel focused on implementing joint security protocols and strengthening the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) mechanisms to prevent localized conflicts during election week.

"This engagement strengthens coordination among the GPH, MILF, AFP, and PNP," Secretary Sarmiento stated, emphasizing that sustained cooperation between state security forces and former combatants is vital for voters to freely exercise their democratic rights.

To align these local deployment efforts with broader national security priorities, Secretary Sarmiento also held a strategic briefing with National Security Adviser Sec. Eduardo SL. Oban Jr. The two bodies finalized the implementation lines of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) normalization track.

Secretary Sarmiento was accompanied by senior transformation officials Noel A. Baraceros, retired Maj. Gen. Francisco Ariel A. Felicidario III of the Joint Peace and Security Committee (JPSC), and Panel Secretariat Director Leila A. Halud. The National Security Council (NSC) delegation included Deputy Directors General Benjamin R. Madrigal Sr., Pedro Soria II, and Nestor C. Herico, alongside Assistant Directors General Ma. Carmina B. Acuña and Jun Mendoza. State forces have raised their readiness levels across the region to maintain absolute stability as the two-day countdown to the BARMM polls begins.💜

References:

Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity. (2026, September 11). Peace adviser welcomes 108 international observers for BARMM parliamentary elections [Press release]. PeaceGovPH. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HBEhYqwMn/

Bangsamoro Information Office. (2026, September 12). International observers to monitor first Bangsamoro parliamentary polls. Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Official Website | Bangsamoro Official Website, Ph

Rocamora, Joyce Ann L. (2026, September 12). OPAPRU: 108 foreign observers to monitor BARMM polls. Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1283910

GPH Peace Implementing Panel. (2026, September 10). Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Sec. Mel Senen Sarmiento met with National Security Adviser Sec. Eduardo SL. Oban Jr. [Photo log]. Status Update | Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1D7ww1QNnM/

Philippine Army. (2026, September 12). GPH, MILF leaders convene at Camp Bilal to ensure peaceful, credible 2026 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections [Status update]. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1HBEhYqwMn/

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