MP Iqbal calls for thorough probe into election violence, vows to honor mandate
COTABATO CITY — Member of Parliament Mohagher Iqbal called for a “thorough and impartial investigation” into the tragic deaths of three United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) volunteers during the historic first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Iqbal, who chairs the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Implementing Panel and formerly served as the region's education minister, stressed that the violence surrounding the September 14 polls “cannot simply pass without accountability.”
Expressing deep concern over the wounding of approximately 20 others, Iqbal urged national law enforcement agencies and justice institutions to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice.
"Elections must never become an excuse for violence, intimidation, or the loss of life,” Iqbal emphasized in a statement released Wednesday night.
Reports from election monitor National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) logged at least five total deaths and 18 injuries across seven incidents in Cotabato City alone, involving shootings, explosions, and unexploded ordnance. The identities of two victims remain unverified.
Carrying the Mandate of the People
Despite the localized violence, voter turnout across the region reached 84.34 percent, with nearly 2 million of the 2.4 million registered voters casting their ballots.
Official results yielded 30 seats for the UBJP in the 80-member Bangsamoro Parliament, alongside 31 seats for the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP), eight for the BARMM Grand Coalition (BGC), and one for the Raayat Democratic Party.
Acknowledging the results, Iqbal expressed profound gratitude to the voters who entrusted their ballots to the party, noting that the 30 seats carry "a tremendous responsibility." He reaffirmed that the UBJP accepts this mandate "with humility and a renewed commitment to serve the Bangsamoro people and advance the aspirations for peace, justice, meaningful self-governance, and development."
Iqbal also commended the election officers and security forces who ensured the overall security of the electoral process, allowing the majority of citizens to exercise their democratic rights.
Upholding Parliamentary Autonomy
With no single party securing an absolute majority, the incoming 80-member Parliament will elect the next Regional Chief Minister when it formally convenes on October 30.
Looking ahead to the organization of the regional government, Iqbal urged all political stakeholders and external entities to respect the democratic mechanisms guaranteed under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
He underscored that the members of the incoming Parliament must be given the full autonomy to elect the Chief Minister, Speaker, and key leadership post “in accordance with law and parliamentary processes, and without undue interference from outside the Bangsamoro Parliament.”