Manila: Australia will continue its longstanding partnership and support for the Bangsamoro, the Australian Embassy in Manila said on Friday ahead of the historic parliamentary elections in the region this month. The statement of support comes as representatives from the embassy visited Cotabato City and engaged key partners working to ensure the Sept. 14 polls are peaceful and credible.

According to Philippines News Agency, "Australia strongly supports efforts to ensure the BARMM elections are peaceful, inclusive and credible. These elections are an important opportunity for the Bangsamoro people to shape their region's future through democratic participation," Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Marc Innes-Brown said on Friday. "Australia remains committed to its longstanding partnership with the Bangsamoro people and looks forward to continuing to support peace, good governance and development in the region," he added.

The senior embassy team visited Cotabato City from Sept. 1 to 3 to check on election preparations and meet election and security officials, civil society organizations, and election monitoring groups. Australia has supported peace efforts in Mindanao for years, including through its broader development investment in Bangsamoro and conflict-affected Mindanao.

From 2023 until 2028, the Australian government is funding some PHP2.4 billion in development programs in the region. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) expects at least 70 percent of the 2.39 million registered voters in the region to participate in the Sept. 14 polls.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier assured the Bangsamoro people that the government will do everything within its mandate to ensure the 'safe, peaceful, and credible' conduct of the inaugural parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro.