Politics · Philippines Bureau
Bangsamoro Parliament risks majority tyranny, peace architect warns
Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, who led the GPH peace panel that negotiated the 2014 Bangsamoro accord, has cautioned that the new parliament could undermine democratic principles if its ruling bloc consolidates unchecked power.
LSN Philippines ·
COTABATO CITY — Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, the former chair of the Government of the Philippines peace panel that signed the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, has raised concerns about governance structures in the nascent Bangsamoro Parliament.
Ferrer warned that the legislative body risks becoming "a tyranny of the majority" if its dominant political bloc operates without sufficient checks and balances. Her caution carries particular weight given her central role in brokering the peace agreement that established the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The concern reflects broader questions about how power will be exercised within the new parliament as it assumes its institutional responsibilities. Democratic safeguards and minority protections have historically been focal points in negotiating autonomous arrangements in conflict-affected regions.
Ferrer's remarks suggest that stakeholders remain attentive to how the Bangsamoro government translates the peace accord's provisions into functioning democratic institutions. The warning underscores the importance of institutional design and governance practices as the autonomous region consolidates its administrative structures.