By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) were disrupted Monday by a string of shootings, explosions and an alarming ballot controversy, forcing election officials and security forces to respond to separate incidents in several areas.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) recorded seven election-related security incidents during the voting period, including three shootings, three explosion incidents and the recovery of an improvised explosive device.
The violence was most serious in Cotabato City, where a shooting before the opening of polls left three people dead and 15 others wounded.
The incident happened near Datu Usman Mampen Elementary School in Barangay Bagua 2 after a dispute between supporters of rival political groups reportedly escalated into a physical confrontation. Gunfire followed, sending people in the area scrambling for safety.
The deadly incident prompted the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to place Cotabato City under its control, allowing the poll body to take direct charge of election operations and security arrangements.
But the city would face another disruption once voting was underway.
At Central Pilot Elementary School, gunfire was reported inside the polling area after a confrontation broke out. The disturbance caused voters to flee the area as security personnel moved in to secure the premises.
The incident further heightened concerns over the safety of voters and election workers in the city.
Cotabato City also recorded three explosion incidents during the election period.
In one of the incidents, a man reportedly carrying an improvised explosive device was seriously injured when the device detonated.
Authorities launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the explosions as security personnel were deployed to vulnerable areas and polling centers.
The incidents came despite the extensive security preparations mounted for the historic elections.
Violence was also reported in Maguindanao del Sur, where an exchange of gunfire occurred during the voting period.
Security forces responded to the incident as authorities worked to prevent the confrontation from affecting nearby voters and polling operations.
The shooting was included in the PNP’s tally of election-related security incidents being investigated across BARMM.
In Maluso, Basilan, election officials confronted a different threat to the integrity of the polls after discovering that ballots had allegedly been pre-shaded before voting.
The problem affected 36 of the town’s 68 precincts, prompting the Comelec to place Maluso under its control and order the replacement of the affected ballots.
Voting in the affected precincts was delayed while officials worked to provide new ballots and determine how the irregularity occurred.
The incident immediately raised questions about the integrity of the electoral process in the affected areas and triggered an investigation by election authorities.
The incidents unfolded against a backdrop of longstanding political and security tensions in parts of the Bangsamoro region.
Thousands of police and military personnel were deployed across BARMM to protect voters, election workers and polling centers.
Authorities were particularly watchful in areas with histories of clan conflict, political rivalry and armed confrontations.
Despite the incidents, the PNP maintained that the overall conduct of the elections remained generally peaceful, with security forces containing the reported disturbances and continuing to protect the voting process.
The police also emphasized that not every violent incident recorded during the election period could automatically be attributed to political or electoral motives, with investigators still determining the circumstances behind individual cases.
The disturbances came as nearly 2.4 million registered voters participated in BARMM’s first regular parliamentary elections.
The historic vote will determine the region’s 80-member parliament, which will play a central role in forming the next Bangsamoro government and selecting the region’s chief minister.
For many voters, however, the significance of the election was accompanied by scenes of heightened security, emergency responses and disruptions at polling centers.
With voting completed in most areas, attention now turns to the counting and canvassing of ballots while authorities continue investigating the shootings, explosions and ballot irregularities.
The incidents have placed an early test before both the Comelec and security forces: to protect the credibility of the vote while ensuring that violence and intimidation do not overshadow the Bangsamoro’s transition to a fully elected parliamentary government.
ia/xf
