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 election monitors have been 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.

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, China and the State of Palestine. Observers include the specialized and humanitarian bodies like the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye, International Jurists Union and representatives from EU, IRI, The Asia Foundation, and Friedrich Naumann Foundation.

The international monitors will oversee voting centers across the BARMM and adjacent areas to ensure the integrity of the regions' first regular parliamentary polls. 

The Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT) of the GPH-MILF Peace Process are also around.

The Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) also met with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) in Cotabato City on 12 September 2026 to discuss preparations for the 2026 BARMM Parliamentary Elections. COMELEC commissioners and officials, led by Chairman George Erwin Garcia, shared updates on election preparations, including the final testing and sealing of automated counting machines, along with their outlook for the upcoming polls. As part of the next phase of their joint technical assessment mission, ANFREL and NDI are deploying international election observers to cover campaign and preparatory activities, Election Day processes, and the immediate post-election scenario, following their earlier deployment for the pre-election assessment.

NAMFREL and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) Regional Command Center are pro-actively performing its mandates as independent parallel election monitoring bodies.

LENTE’s national secretariat, on the other hand, met with International Republican Institute (IRI) observers to share initial findings from its ongoing election monitoring. Discussions covered social media monitoring, campaign strategies, final testing and sealing observations, anticipated election-day issues, and LENTE’s deployment and monitoring methodology. LENTE’s national secretariat, on the other hand, met with International Republican Institute (IRI) observers to share initial findings from its ongoing election monitoring. Discussions covered social media monitoring, campaign strategies, final testing and sealing observations, anticipated election-day issues, and LENTE’s deployment and monitoring methodology.

It has also deployed 20 field personnel across key BARMM locations to monitor today's Final Testing and Sealing (FTS) of Automated Counting Machines (ACMs). Observers reported widespread procedural delays across most voting centers due to the late arrival or ongoing transit of ACMs. This logistical issue was further compounded by a severe lack of public participation, which forced election personnel and observers to stand in as voters so the process could move forward. Additionally, teams noted operational challenges, including incomplete Electoral Board compositions and a clear need for clearer procedural guidance on the FTS mechanics. FTS is a crucial, public transparency mechanism ahead of Election Day.

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:

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

Bangsamoro Information Office (Sept. 14, 2026). International observers to monitor first Bangsamoro parliamentary polls. https://bangsamoro.gov.ph/news/latest-news/international-observers-to-monitor-first-bangsamoro-parliamentary-polls-the-office-of-the-presidential-adviser-on-peace-reconciliation-and-unity-opapru-said-108-international-observers-from-16-orga/

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/

Kutangbato News (Sept 13, 2026). Arrival fo the International Observers of the 1st BARMM Parliament Election. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14m4YLRSJpe/

LENTE Philippines (Sept 12, 2026). Field Report #1: Final Testing and Sealing | 1st BARMM Parliamentary Election, https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DeSVuzkx4/
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/

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/

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

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