At least four people were killed and 19 others wounded in seven election-related violent incidents across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao on Monday, but the Philippine National Police said the violence was isolated and not widespread enough to disrupt the historic first parliamentary elections.
DZRH News correspondent Edniel Parrosa reported on The Situation Report on Monday afternoon, September 14, that the PNP tallied three shooting incidents in Cotabato, Basilan, and Maguindanao del Sur; three explosion incidents in Cotabato City; and one recovered improvised explosive device in Basilan.
According to Parrosa’s report, PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Allen Rae Co said the incidents, while occurring in several areas, do not meet the threshold for a widespread disruption of the elections based on the metrics the PNP uses to assess election-day security situations.
“Ang tinitingnan nga po natin dito, huwag na po sanang madagdagan. But if it becomes widespread, that’s the time siguro that we will have to adjust our assessment of the situation. But these are isolated incidents in several areas, admittedly in several areas, but generally in most areas in the BARMM,” Co said.
Despite the incidents, the PNP said 98.81% of polling centers across the region opened on time, with all precincts in Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte, and the Special Geographic Areas conducting elections on schedule.
The PNP said the notable exception was Basilan, where 13 precincts failed to open by 3 PM—the same province where pre-shaded ballots were discovered, prompting COMELEC to extend voting in affected areas until 9 PM.
