POLICY PAPERS

Co-authored by Johnson Badawi, this policy paper, published as part of the “Security Blueprint” series by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in January 2025. The paper examines the threat of disinformation in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which is set to hold its first parliamentary elections. It notes that the region’s weak institutions, sporadic violence, and a rise in social media use make it particularly vulnerable to disinformation, which can undermine the credibility of the electoral process. The author argues that existing interventions are insufficient and proposes a multi-pronged approach to address the issue more effectively, including voter education, civic education, digital citizenship, and the development of new policies and frameworks to combat election-related disinformation. The document also provides background on the author, who is a peacebuilder from Mindanao with a master’s degree in International Peace Studies.