When the filing window closed on May 7, 2026, the Commission on Elections held a list of 176 people willing to stake their names on the future of the Bangsamoro. It is a quiet administrative moment, yet it marks the first step toward the region's first regular parliamentary vote since the Bangsamoro was established in 2019, a self-governing project that has long asked whether a fragile peace can be made into ordinary democratic life. The crowded fields in Lanao del Sur and Basilan, and the incumbents who chose to seek reelection, show that the question is being answered one candidacy at a time
176 Candidates File COCs for BARMM Parliament as Three-Day Filing Window Closes
176 candidates filed in three days for the first regular Bangsamoro parliament vote
Mark
So 176 people filed in three days. What's the headline number really telling us?
Mimi
That the first regular parliamentary race in the BARMM's history has a real field. Lanao del Sur alone had 33 filers across nine districts, the largest in the region.
Mark
And the chief minister's party is everywhere?
Mimi
The UBJP, Chief Minister Ebrahim's party, fielded candidates in every province. The Bangsamoro Federal Party and BAPA also showed strong representation.
Luke
"Strong representation" is the report's phrase, and it comes without numbers. We don't have a party-by-party count here, so I'd be careful about calling anyone dominant.
Mark
Fair. What about incumbents?
Mimi
Paisal Sali, a Transition Authority member, filed under UBJP in Basilan's 2nd district. In Lanao del Sur, Alexander Alonto Jr. and Ziaur-Rahman Alonto Adiong filed under the SIAP Party.
Luke
Worth noting these are filings, not qualified candidacies. Comelec hasn't screened them yet, including for nuisance candidates.
Mark
Then there's the Cotabato City case.
Mimi
Reynaldo Largo Canen filed as an independent, withdrew, and refiled under the BEST Party. That's from a notation on the Comelec list.
Luke
And the notation is all we know. Why he switched isn't in the reporting.
Mark
What should we watch?
Mimi
The screening, and May 14, the last day for substitutions due to withdrawal. The vote itself is September 14.
Il Polso
- 176 candidates filed in three days, and the list is now public, setting the region's first regular parliamentary race in motion.
- Lanao del Sur (33 filers) and Basilan (17) crowd the field, with the UBJP present in every province, including the chief minister's own party.
- Comelec must now screen certificates for nuisance candidates, while the one-time switch of Cotabato City candidate Reynaldo Largo Canen from independent to BEST Party shows how fluid entries remain.
- Withdrawals are closed, but substitutions remain possible until May 14, so the ballot could still shift before the September 14 vote.
When the filing window closed on May 7, 2026, the Commission on Elections held a list of 176 people willing to stake their names on the future of the Bangsamoro. It is a quiet administrative moment, yet it marks the first step toward the region's first regular parliamentary vote since the Bangsamoro was established in 2019, a self-governing project that has long asked whether a fragile peace can be made into ordinary democratic life. The crowded fields in Lanao del Sur and Basilan, and the incumbents who chose to seek reelection, show that the question is being answered one candidacy at a time, with the September 14 vote still ahead.
When the three-day filing window closed on May 7, 2026, the Commission on Elections' Bangsamoro Electoral Office had its consolidated list: 176 candidates had filed Certificates of Candidacy between May 5 and 7, and the list was made public once the period ended.
The candidates are competing for district seats in the Bangsamoro parliament, with voting set for September 14, 2026. It is the region's first regular parliamentary election since the BARMM was established in 2019, and the filings reveal where the contest is most crowded. Lanao del Sur led with 33 filers, Basilan followed with 17, and Maguindanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte, and Cotabato City all drew double-digit fields.
Several incumbents chose to run again, including Paisal A. Sali of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, who filed under the UBJP in Basilan, the party of Chief Minister Ahod "Al Haj Murad" Ebrahim, which fielded candidates in every province. Smaller parties and independents round out the list, and one Cotabato City entry carries a Comelec notation after a candidate withdrew as an independent and refiled under the BEST Party.
Comelec now begins verifying the certificates and screening for nuisance candidates. Withdrawals are no longer allowed, but substitutions remain possible until May 14, 2026, so the list could still change before the vote.
When the three-day filing window for the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections closed on May 7, 2026, the Commission on Elections' Bangsamoro Electoral Office had a consolidated list in hand: 176 candidates had filed Certificates of Candidacy between May 5 and 7. The list was released to the public after the period ended.
The candidates are competing for seats in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliament, with voting set for September 14, 2026. It will be the region's first regular parliamentary election since the BARMM was established in 2019 after the Bangsamoro Organic Law was ratified. The parliament will have 80 members: 40 elected by district and 40 sectoral representatives appointed by the chief minister. The filing that just closed covers only the district seats.
The provincial breakdown shows where the field is crowded. Lanao del Sur, with nine districts, drew 33 filers, the most in the region. Basilan, with four districts, had 17. Maguindanao del Sur followed with 16 candidates across five districts, and Tawi-Tawi, with four districts, had 13. Maguindanao del Norte recorded 11 candidates across five districts, and Cotabato City, with three districts, also listed 11. The Special Geographic Area, which covers 63 barangays formerly part of Cotabato province, had seven candidates across two districts.
Several incumbents are among the filers. Paisal A. Sali, a sitting member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, filed under the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) for Basilan's 2nd district. In Lanao del Sur, candidates from the SIAP Party, the UBJP and the Progresibong Bangsamoro Party all filed, among them incumbent officials Alexander Alonto Jr. of the SIAP Party in the 2nd district and Ziaur-Rahman Alonto Adiong of the SIAP Party in the 3rd district.
The UBJP is the party of BARMM Chief Minister Ahod "Al Haj Murad" Ebrahim, and it fielded candidates in every province. The Bangsamoro Federal Party and the BAPA Party also showed strong representation. Smaller parties on the list include the BEST Party, Bangsamoro Party, Bangsamoro Peoples Party, Al Ittihad-UKB, Partido Maharlika, Isama Party and BGC, and several candidates filed as independents.
One entry carries a notation from Comelec. In Cotabato City, Reynaldo Largo Canen first filed as an independent, then withdrew and refiled under the BEST Party.
The next step belongs to Comelec, which is expected to begin verifying and screening the certificates. That includes checking for possible nuisance candidates and confirming compliance with election laws and regulations.
Election officers reminded filers that withdrawing a COC is no longer allowed now that the deadline has passed. Substitutions due to withdrawal remain possible only until May 14, 2026, so the list could still shift in the coming days.
Citazioni salienti
Withdrawal of COCs is no longer permitted after the deadline, and substitutions due to withdrawal will only be allowed until May 14, 2026.— Election officers, per Comelec Bangsamoro Electoral Office reporting
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