Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan on Sunday said the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections have opened a more difficult but hopeful phase for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM): building a government that reflects the voters’ mandate.
“Nagsalita na ang Bangsamoro voters. Now comes the harder and more hopeful task: form a government worthy of their voice,” Pangilinan said in a statement following the historic elections.
He said no single political party won an outright mandate, making coalition-building, agreements, and sustained dialogue essential to forming the region’s government.
“Walang iisang partido ang binigyan ng buong kapangyarihan. Kaya kailangang bumuo ng koalisyon, magkaroon ng kasunduan, at mag-usap nang may paninindigan para sa sama-samang pananagutan (accountability),” he said.
The elected Parliament will have to choose the region’s chief minister, organize its leadership, and form a majority that will run the government, Pangilinan said.
“Kailangang pumili ang halal na Parlamento ng punong ministro, ayusin ang pamunuan nito, at bumuo ng mayoryang magpapatakbo ng pamahalaan na nakaugat sa kapayapaan, pananagutan, at paglilingkod,” he said.
Pangilinan said the transition to an elected government builds on years of efforts by communities, peace advocates, and institutions to move the region away from armed conflict and toward democratic governance.
He pointed to “the courage of communities that endured conflict,” peace agreements that replaced armed struggle with democratic choice, and transitional institutions that prepared the way for an elected government.
The senator said these foundations could now support wider opportunities for farmers and fisherfolk, youth and women, Indigenous peoples, workers, entrepreneurs, and families across the region.
“Sa mga pundasyong ito, maaaring palawakin ng Bangsamoro ang mga oportunidad para sa mga magsasaka at mangingisda, kabataan at kababaihan, mga katutubo, manggagawa, negosyante, at mga pamilya sa bawat isla, bayan, tribo, at barangay,” Pangilinan said.
“The historic Bangsamoro elections have carried a people long shaped by struggle, faith, and the stubborn work of peace from the ballot box to the threshold of self-government,” he added.
Pangilinan expressed hope that the new Parliament would demonstrate that peace means more than the absence of war.
“Nawa’y mapatunayan ng Parlamentong ito na ang kapayapaan ay hindi lamang kawalan ng giyera, kundi pagkakaroon ng hustisya, dignidad, at kinabukasang para sa lahat,” he said.