Shafaqna English- Voting is currently taking place in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), located in the southern Philippines.
This marks the first parliamentary elections since the region was established in 2019. Monday’s historic vote is viewed as a significant step toward self-governance after decades of rebellion and violence in this Muslim-majority area, where more than 2.3 million individuals are eligible to vote.
Unfortunately, violent incidents marred the lead-up to the elections. On Monday, the chairman of the Commission on Elections, George Garcia, announced that Cotabato City has been placed under the control of the commission following a shooting on Sunday that resulted in three deaths and left 15 people injured. Additionally, in separate incidents within the city, a bomb exploded, injuring the person carrying it, while a gun was fired without causing any other injuries.
Sources: AlJazeera