Manila, Sept. 16 -- The ballot chooses the government. The results should measure it. The people of the Bangsamoro have just taken part in a historic exercise in democracy.

On Sept. 14, about 2.39 million registered voters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) were given the opportunity to choose the members of the region's first elected parliament. Eighty seats were at stake, marking a major step in the transition from an appointed regional government to elected self-government.

It is an important milestone. But an election, no matter how historic, is only the beginning. The more difficult question comes afterward: How will the people know whether their elected government is doing its job?

Democracy is often m...