Influential sectors assure support for elected BARMM lawmaker

Amir Mawalil (second from right) was proclaimed as elected member of the Bangsamoro parliament by the director for the Bangsamoro region of the Commission on Elections, Ray Sumalipao, and two regional lawmakers, Rasul Enderez Esmael and Rasol Mitmug, Jr. immediately after the September 14, regional elections, based on poll results from across the area of autonomy.

COTABATO CITY --- A newly-elected member of the Bangsamoro parliament, who is among the six nominees to represent their political party in the lawmaking body, had been assured by youth leaders and artists in the autonomous region of their support for his peacebuilding and development initiatives as a regional lawmaker.

Amir Mawallil, newly-elected member of the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament, whose peace, security and community-empowerment initiatives as a lawmaker they are to help push forward, is no stranger to regional governance, having served as director of the media affairs bureau of the now defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao for a number of years.

The 27-year ARMM was replaced with a more empowered Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in 2019, a product of the national government’s tedious, drawn-out peace overture with Southern Mindanao Moro communities.

Mawallil had also functioned as a member of the interim Bangsamoro parliament from 2022 to 2025, based on an appointment by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

Mawallil is one of the six nominees of the BARMM Grand Coalition Party to the 80-member Bangsamoro parliament, elected during the September 14, 2026 regional electoral exercise.

The statement of support by youth leaders in BARMM’s five provinces and cities for Mawallil’s membership now in the regional parliament, as a duly-mandated Bangsamoro lawmaker, was signed by Habbier Adam of Maguindanao del Sur, Salma Ibrahim of Maguindanao del Norte, Jaro Ajik II of Tawi-Tawi, Jamar Jamiri of Basilan and Queenie Comadug of Lanao del Sur. Copies of their statement circulated in Cotabato City on Friday, September 25,

Officials and members of the Cotabato City Chapter of the United Mindanaoan Artist Guild, most known as Umag, sent Mawallil a formal letter, dated September 23, expressing gladness over his election as BARMM Grand Coalition party representative to the regional parliament.

The letter, a clear statement of support too, was signed by UMAG’s founder, Ricanor Uday, copies of which were received by reporters in Cotabato City, the regional capital of BARMM, also last Friday.

UMAG’s letter to Mawallil also committed its support for all the peace and governance agenda of the six BARMM Grand Coalition that he and five other party mates are to represent in the regional parliament.

Among the founders of the BARMM Grand Coalition are Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong, Jr., a ranking official of the Serbisyong Inklusibo, Alyansang Progresibo Party, and his counterpart in Basilan, the first term governor Mujiv Hataman, founder of the Bangsamoro People’s Party.