The 2025 maiden elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is seen this early to be a spectacular race largely between the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) and the Bangsamoro Grand Coalition (BGC).

The UBJP is the regional political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which inked with the government two major peace deals in 2013 and 2014 that led to the formation of BARMM under R.A. 11054 of 2018. It introduces a politics of principled party in lieu of traditional politics hinging largely on money and popularity among rich clans.

The BGC, on the other hand, is an alliance of regional parties, namely: The Al-Ittihad-UKB of former Sultan Kudarat governor Suharto “Teng” Mangudadatu, and wife, Maguindanao del Sur Gov. Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu; the Serbisyong Inklusibo Alyansang Progresibo (SIAP) of Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal “Bombit” Alonto-Adiong Jr. and son-Vice Gov. Mohammad Khalid “Mujam” Rakiin-Adiong; the Salam Party of Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan; and the Bangsamoro People’s Party (BPP) of Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman.

Another political bloc girding to participate in the BARMM election is the Bagnsamoro Party (BaPa) organized by former Cotabato City mayor and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) faction Chair Muslimin G. Sema.

Sema is currently serving as Labor minister of BARMM and his nephew Romeo K. Sema is now two-term appointed member of parliament (MP) of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority. The Semas are allied with the “Government of the Day” in BARMM headed by MILF Chair Ahod “Hadji Murad” Ebrahim as interim Chief Minister (CM). Thus, BaPa is reportedly not likely competing for the CM post.

The regional polls will be a head-on collision between the UBJP and the BGC, notably for the position of CM. UBJP leadership has a standing consensus to nominate Ebrahim for the elective regular CM post, while the BGC bared its decision lately a unanimous choice for Sulu Gov. Tan as CM nominee.

The regular chief minister, speaker and other key officials will be chosen by 80 members of parliament (MPs) who will win in the maiden election.

Forty one (41) of the MPs will be elected through a party-list style election, while the rest are to be elected in district level polling. Under the approved BARMM Local Governance Code and Electoral Code, eight parliament seats are being reserved for representatives from different sectors, including women, traditional leaders, youth and the like.

The Al-Ittihad-UKB party is credited for the convening of the BGC, notably former governor and now TESDA Director General Teng Mangudadatu and wife, Maguindanao Sur Gov. Mariam. The couple has more often than not shown opposition stance against some policies and operations of the BARMM officialdom.

The recent BGC announcement on the choice of Sulu Gov. Tan as a coalition nominee to the CM post came as a surprise in the region because Ex-Gov. Mangudadatu was often quoted as interested to the top regional post.

BARMM now has six provincial governors, three city mayors and 125 municipal mayors, who are members or allied with the UBJP and parties belonging to the BGC.

The UBJP has the full baking of Governors Abdfulrao “Sammy Gambar” Macacua of Maguindanao del Norte, Jim  Hataman-Salliman of Basilan, and Yshmael “Mang” Sali of Tawi-Tawi, and Mayors Bruce Matabalao of Cotabato and Roderick Furigay of Lamitan. The UBJP has Governors Adiong of  Lanao Sur, Mariam of Maguindanao Sur and Tan of Sulu.

Both the BGC and the UBJP have held field assemblies to swear in members and fortify their organizations for the upcoming regional maiden election.

The political posturing by both contending parties continues to intensify even as a federation of civil society groups has started campaign for a second wave of extension in the lifespan of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority from 2025 to 2028. The national government has already extended the BTA operation from 2022 to 2025. (AGM)