Hassan Wins Basilan 1st District Seat for Bangsamoro Parliament

Lamitan Councilor Rima Hasim Hassan has emerged victorious in the race for the first district representative of Basilan to the Bangsamoro Parliament, a significant outcome of the historic 2026 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections. As of Monday, September 14, 11:44 pm, with 95.40% of the total election returns tallied, Hassan secured 21,933 votes, placing her at the top of the electoral contest. Her closest competitor was Lamitan City Vice Mayor Hegem Cabrera Furigay, who garnered 14,733 votes. Furigay ran under the Bangsamoro Peoples Party, a relatively lesser-known party led by former BARMM member of parliament Alzad Sattar. Notably, Hegem did not receive the endorsement of his uncle and Lamitan City Mayor Roderick “Oric” Furigay. Oric instead joined nine other Basilan mayors in endorsing Hassan’s party, the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP). Coming in third for the Basilan’s 1st District race was Moro Islamic Liberation Front commander Verjiv Flores Abdurahman of the United Justice Bangsamoro Party, who received 4,491 votes. Hassan is set to serve a special five-year transition term from October 30, 2026, to June 30, 2031. She will be one of the 32 district representatives who comprise 40% of the 80-seat Bangsamoro Parliament. This election result marks a crucial step towards the political stability and development of the BARMM, with particular attention on how inter-party alliances will shape the future governance of the autonomous region.