THICK REQUIREMENTS. Comelec officials sort through Moro Ako Party’s documents. Parties are required to submit a list of 40 nominees, ranked first to last, of which at least 30 percent should be women. Each nominee is also required to sign an affidavit indicating that they have no relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity in the same list. Photo by Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org

It’s all systems go for the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The six-day filing of certificates of candidacy (CoCs) and manifestations of intent to participate (MIPs) in the May 2025 parliamentary elections started on Monday, November 4.

Senate President Francis Escudero’s proposal to reset the anticipated regional elections loomed large on the event, but it did not stop the filing.

Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia flew to Cotabato City to witness the acceptance of the bids of aspiring BARMM parliament members.

CHAIRMAN FLIES TO COTABATO CITY. Comelec Chairman Garcia (center) graces the first day of filing of certificates of candidacy and manifestations of intent to participate in the elections. “Hangga’t walang batas, nandun yung paghahanda ng Commission on Elections (until there is no law, Comelec will continue to prepare),” he said to the media. Photo by Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org
HEIGHTENED SECURITY. Local police and military officers guard the BEO, located at the Bangsamoro Government Center. Filers have to pass at least three security checkpoints inside the center before reaching the office. About 1,088 police personnel are deployed every day for the filing, Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region director Brig. Gen. Romeo Macapaz told PCIJ. Photo by Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org

Around Cotabato City, men in uniform were on alert for any untoward incident. A military armored vehicle is parked at the gate of the BARMM compound, where the Bangsamoro Electoral Office was located.

The region has had a notorious record of election-related violence over the decades, with the latest incident flaring up in Shariff Aguak during the filling of CoCs in local elections from Oct. 1 to 8.

FIRST PARTY FILER. Moro Ako Party, a group of Moro youth and professionals based in Marawi, is the first regional political party to formalize their bid for Parliament seats in the 2025 elections. First nominee Tajeeb Taib (in yellow) handed over the party’s manifestation of intent to participate. They are one of seven accredited regional political parties in BARMM. Photo by Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org
FIRST DISTRICT FILER. Abdulhadie Gumander (left) poses with his certificate of candidacy (COC) for the 2nd parliamentary district in Maguindanao del Norte. He was the first aspiring district representative in the province to submit his COC. There are 25 parliamentary district seats in BARMM. Photo by Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org
JOINT MEETING. Garcia (Center) holds a joint meeting with BARMM security officials to show their commitment in ensuring a peaceful election in the region. He is flanked by 6th Infantry Division commander Gen. Antonio Nafarrete (left) and Macapaz (right). They advised BARMM politicians and citizens to “observe the rule of law to have an honest, orderly and peaceful election.” Photo by Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org

In nearby Camp Darapanan, the main base of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Sultan Kudarat town, women voters are just getting the hang of their unique electoral process by participating in a civil society-led voters’ education session.

VOTER’S ED. While filing of CoCs and MIPs is ongoing in Cotabato City, a voters’ education session is conducted at Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat on Nov. 4. It was led by Mindanao Organizations of Social and Economic Progress. Photo by Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org
KEEN AUDIENCE. A Moro woman snaps snippets of the presentation during the session. Facilitators guided them on the unique electoral process in their region that requires voters to shade two separate ballots. She is one of the 500 estimated women who participated in the event held in the camp at Sultan Kudarat. Photo by Guinevere Latoza/PCIJ.org