COTABATO CITY — Bangsamoro voters continued to exercise their right to vote on Monday despite isolated violence and election-related tensions during the region’s first regular parliamentary elections.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said the incidents did not derail the overall conduct of voting across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The Comelec reported that 98.1 percent of polling precincts opened successfully, despite security and logistical challenges.Cotabato City was placed under Comelec control following violence that reportedly left three people dead and 15 others injured before voting began.Maluso, Basilan was also placed under Comelec control after pre-shaded ballots were discovered in 36 of its 68 precincts.
To address the issue, the Comelec ordered the reprinting of the affected ballots. Voting hours in Basilan were also extended to make up for delays.The Philippine National Police said the overall conduct of the elections remained generally peaceful despite reports of shootings and explosions in some areas.
More than 20,000 police and military personnel were deployed to secure polling centers and major routes across the region.
Authorities said their main goal was to protect voters, maintain peace, and ensure that the electoral process continued despite the challenges.The elections are a major milestone for BARMM, following decades of armed conflict and peace negotiations that led to the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the creation of the autonomous region.
For nearly 2.4 million registered voters, the polls were more than a contest among political parties. They were also an opportunity to show that political differences can be settled through voting rather than violence.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. described the elections as an important step in the region’s journey toward lasting peace, democratic governance, and self-determination.The polls will determine the 80 members of the Bangsamoro Parliament, which will later choose the region’s Chief Minister and replace the interim government with an elected regional administration.
Despite the incidents in some communities, voters, election officials, security forces, and local stakeholders continued working to ensure that the historic elections moved forward peacefully and orderly.
