Election in Philippines’ Bangsamoro region ends in hung parliament

What the report says

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, a Muslim-majority area in the southern Philippines, ended its first parliamentary election without any party winning a majority, according to unofficial results reported by Al Jazeera. With more than 99 percent of votes counted, the two main factions that grew out of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front each won more than 30 percent of the vote, but neither reached the 41 seats needed to control the 80-member parliament.

The vote took place on Monday, September 15, 2026, and comes after the region was created through a peace process that followed years of conflict. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed a peace deal with the Philippine government in 2014 and later led the region’s interim administration after autonomy was approved in 2019. Al Jazeera reported that tensions inside the movement deepened after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr replaced longtime MILF leader Al Haj Murad Ebrahim with Abdulraof Macacua as chief minister last year.

Macacua, who heads the Bangsamoro Federalist Party, said a coalition would likely be necessary. Ebrahim said his United Bangsamoro Justice Party hoped to win the most seats but was also open to alliances. The result is significant because it could shape how the region governs itself and whether rival blocs can preserve the fragile peace.

Authorities said voting was generally peaceful, though there were several shooting incidents that left at least three people dead and others wounded. Security forces remained deployed after the election, while residents interviewed by Al Jazeera voiced concern that political division could unsettle the peace process in an area that has seen repeated conflict and displacement.