Eyes on BARMM, other ‘hot spots’ as millions cast votes in provinces
READY FOR DUTY Police in Puerto Princesa City and soldiers assigned in Palawan join on May 6 the send-off ceremony for some 1,500 personnel from the Philippine National Police, 3rd Marine Brigade and the Philippine Coast Guard held at the provincial police headquarters in Puerto Princesa who will be deployed in the province for the May 12 elections. They are among the 160,000 government troops deployed for election duties. —Puerto Princesa City Police Office
COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — Violence continued to erupt in the Bangsamoro, particularly in the Maguindanao provinces, just two days before the midterm polls, making it a major flash point even as the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the police and military assured they were ready to thwart any attempt to cause mayhem as millions troop to voting centers across the nation to cast their ballots.
The Climate Conflict Action Asia (CCAA), an international peace monitoring group in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), reported Maguindanao del Sur was “entering a potentially catastrophic election season” in the wake of armed hostilities in two towns that left two persons dead.
The incidents two days before the election raised further alarm that today’s balloting could spark more tension and violence in the heartland of BARMM.
READ: Classic ‘clash of clans’ in Bangsamoro polls
Armed hostilities erupted on Friday evening and Saturday morning in two towns in Maguindanao del Sur, prompting a still undetermined number of civilians to flee to safer grounds.
Benedicto Bacani, executive director of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance, said suspected private armed groups attacked the villages of D’lag and Pandag in the town of Pandag, Maguindanao del Sur.
READ: MILF, BARMM leaders vow peaceful election participation
Reports claimed that a private armed group identified with Pandag’s reelectionist Mayor Odjie Balayman was involved in the skirmishes in four villages of the town.
According to CCAA’s Critical Events Monitoring System, it recorded 219 deaths since the filing of candidacy began in October 2024 until May 9 this year.
“With conflict events multiplying in recent weeks, the risk of a far worse cycle of violence on Election Day is no longer speculative. It is imminent,” CCAA said.
It urged Comelec to implement a stricter and impartial enforcement of the election gun ban.
BARMM (Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte and Tawi-Tawi) has 2.3 million registered voters spread in 1, 224 voting centers.
While the number of electorate in BARMM is only a fraction of the country’s 68.9 million registered voters for the 2025 elections, the region has recorded most of the gun attacks that had killed or wounded candidates and their supporters, not including the ambuscades that killed three local elections officers since the filing of the certificates of candidacy last October.
Luzon, too
In Luzon, another major flash point is Abra province in the Cordillera, which saw at least 11 persons killed in suspected poll-related violence since the start of the campaign period.
Across Luzon, thousands of police personnel were deployed in different provinces, especially those considered election hot spots, and a curfew was imposed in Cavite to ensure the peaceful conduct of Monday’s elections.
The Cavite provincial government, in an ordinance, imposed the 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew from May 10 to May 12, which was announced on Friday via teleconference.
“During this time, all individuals, regardless of age, shall remain indoors and shall not loiter or assemble in public places,” the ordinance said.
Meanwhile, the police regional office of Mimaropa (Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) mobilized over 5,000 police personnel to secure 1,569 polling precincts in the region, said Police Maj. Clyde Kalyawen, the region’s police spokesperson.
“These deployments are carefully planned to enhance police visibility, deter potential threats, and enable rapid response to any untoward incidents before, during, and after Election Day,” said Police Brig. Gen. Roger Quesada, the regional police director, in a statement.
Among those deployed were 1,500 police officers, soldiers and Philippine Coast Guard personnel in Palawan.
In Cagayan Valley, majority of its 2.35 million registered voters were expected to cast their votes Monday, undaunted by a series of violent events across the region, the latest of which was the killing of Rizal, Cagayan Mayor Joel Ruma that prompted Comelec to take control over the town and hoist a red alert or put it under grave concern classification.
In Central Luzon, the Provincial Media Action Center and the Regional Election Monitoring Action Center were launched to ensure a fast response to incidents, smooth flow of information and adequate coordination between police, media and other stakeholders.
In Nueva Ecija, two women were held at a Comelec checkpoint in Science City of Muñoz for alleged violation of the election “money ban” by transporting P1.6 million in cash at around 9 a.m. on Saturday. Jose Ramiscal, city election officer, explained that carrying more than P500,000 is prohibited within two days before the Election Day, as “it is presumptive vote-buying.”
Visayas: All set
In the Visayas, election and law enforcement authorities said they expected the elections in their four regions to be peaceful, despite some political tension in some areas in Leyte.
“Let us aim for zero violence,” said Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rommel Marbil on May 9 during a brief interview at the PNP regional headquarters in Palo, Leyte, when he visited the region to check on the security preparations for today’s elections.
Brig. Gen. Jay Cumigad, the Eastern Visayas police director, said they made adequate preparations to counter any potential threats of election-related violence, including in the third and fourth congressional districts. Among these is the fourth district town of Albuera where mayoral candidate Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa survived an assassination attempt on April 10.
On Negros Island, the Comelec and Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said they are ready for Election Day in areas affected by Mt. Kanlaon’s unrest.
Donato Sermeno III, regional director of OCD-Negros Island Region, said close to 5,000 evacuees would be ferried in government vehicles to their alternative polling centers in La Castellana, Bago City and La Carlota City.
Mari-Andylene Quintia, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology resident volcanologist at the Mt. Kanlaon Observatory in La Carlota City, said on Sunday that “the volcano appeared to have stabilized in the past week and hopefully will remain calm on Election Day.” —with Delfin T. Mallari Jr., Madonna Virola, Joanna Aglibot, Villamor Visaya Jr., Kimberlie Quitasol, Armand Galang, Joey Gabieta, Kaye Brier, Jhunnex Napallacan, Nestle Semilla-Dakay, Leo Udtohan, Ruchelle Denice Demaisip, and Carla Gomez
