50 years after Tripoli, Bangsamoro turns from arms to ballots
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is set to cross a historic threshold on Monday, September 14, as voters cast ballots in its first regular parliamentary elections, nearly 50 years after the signing of the Tripoli Agreement that set in motion a long and difficult search for peace in the Bangsamoro.
The elections mark a defining moment in a peace process spanning half a century of negotiations, armed conflict, political upheavals, and constitutional challenges, while opening a new chapter in the political participation of former Moro combatants.
For Datu Michael O. Mastura, a former senior member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) panel in peace negotiations with the government, the participation of the MILF in the elections is particularly significant because it represents a transition from armed struggle to democratic politics.
“The important thing is that they (MILF) are seeking legitimacy. So, let us welcome them to the electoral process,” Mastura said.
“They have to know how to transition from an armed conflict group to a party seeking seats in a parliament, in a voting-rights way,” said the former deputy minister for the Office of Muslim Affairs.
“I am very happy that they have accepted it. Finally, we have the go-signal on Monday, Sept. 14,” said Mastura, who also served as a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention.
But Mastura said the significance of the elections goes beyond simply filling seats in the newly institutionalized parliament. He sees the electoral exercise as an opportunity to reshape political governance in the autonomous region.
“We should use these (BARMM elections) as a reform movement. We are moving into a system that will discourage one-man rule. In exchange, we have the assembly or parliament. We would like to see a strong bureaucracy, coupled with a strong party system,” the Muslim scholar said.
The emergence of a multiparty contest is another important element of the transition, he said.
“We have 13 parties vying for seats in the parliament. That is a good sign that we are finally realizing that a party system can work,” said Mastura, who represented Maguindanao and Cotabato City in Congress from 1987 to 1995.
The parliamentary system will also introduce a different political dynamic, with electoral results determining which parties gain enough seats to participate in forming the regional government.
“Voting will be done to select parties that will have seats in the parliament. The more seats you have, the more you will be qualified to form the government of the day. I think the way is a coalition government,” Mastura added.
The road to this point began with the Tripoli Agreement, signed on December 23, 1976, during the administration of then-President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., with Libya and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation helping facilitate negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
The peace process subsequently produced the 1996 Final Peace Agreement between the government and the MNLF during the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos. Separate negotiations with the MILF eventually culminated in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in 2014 and the establishment of BARMM.
Five decades after Tripoli, the Bangsamoro struggle is entering a fundamentally different arena: the ballot box.
Under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the national government has pursued the political and normalization tracks of the peace process, including efforts to facilitate the transition of the MILF from a revolutionary organization into an active participant in parliamentary democracy.
President Marcos has also underscored the elections as an opportunity to consolidate decades of peace gains through democratic institutions.
“Let this election show that the future of the Bangsamoro is shaped by the people themselves: through your voices, your choices, and your hopes for your respective communities,” President Marcos said during the opening of the 2026 National Peace Consciousness Month.
For the Bangsamoro, September 14 is a test of whether a movement forged through decades of conflict can build legitimacy, representation, and governance through democratic participation. It is also a milestone in a 50-year journey — from negotiations for peace, to autonomy, and ultimately to the exercise of political choice by the people themselves.
(Editor’ note: This piece was repurposed from a news feature from the Presidential Communications Office.)
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