Comelec takes control of Cotabato, Basilan town as BARMM polls begin
The Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) has placed Cotabato City and Maluso under its direct control following violent incidents and ballot irregularities during the first BARMM parliamentary elections. Despite these disruptions, officials are working to continue the voting process in unaffected areas.
Why it matters
Direct intervention by the national election commission underscores the severity of the security challenges facing the new autonomous region's democratic transition.
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EARLY VOTING. Commission on Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia, accompanied by other officials, personally toured and observed the proceeding of the first-ever Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections at the San Vicente Academy in Cotabato City on September 14, 2026.
Two areas in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao were placed under Comelec control due to violence and compromised ballots during the first parliamentary polls. Cotabato City experienced three violent incidents resulting in three deaths and 15 injuries, while Maluso town had pre-shaded ballots in 36 out of 68 precincts. Comelec Chairman George Garcia announced that despite the issues, voting will continue in unaffected precincts, and new ballots will be reprinted for compromised areas. This is AI-generated.
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