12 BARMM areas under serious threat ahead of parliamentary polls

FILE PHOTO: Commission on Elections Chairperson George Garcia. INQUIRER / NINO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines — Several areas in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, and Basilan are placed under serious threat category for the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary elections, according to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

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Data shared by Comelec Chairperson George Erwin Garcia on Wednesday showed that the Comelec has put the following areas under red category:

Lanao del Sur

• Masiu
• Lumba-Bayabao
• Poona Bayabao
• Tamparan
• Taraka
• Mulondo

Maguindanao del Sur

• Paglat
• Pandag
• Buluan
• Datu Paglas
• Mangudadatu

Basilan

• Al-Barka

Areas classified under the red category are those with serious threats and a history of election-related violence.

Despite this, Garcia said that the poll body sees no need to place any area under the Comelec control. Under this, the poll body has the complete jurisdiction over a certain area.

READ: Comelec warns vs vote-buying in BARMM polls

“Wala pa po tayong nakikita na kakailanganing ilagay sa Comelec control. So far, yun pong peace and order situation sa buong Bangsamoro ay generally peaceful pa rin hanggang sa kasalukuyan,” Garcia told reporters in an interview.

(We see no need to put any area under Comelec control. So far, the peace and order situation in the whole Bangsamoro is generally peaceful until now.)

For the conduct of the 2025 midterm elections, two areas were placed under Comelec control: Buluan in Maguindanao del Sur over increase in election-related violence and Datu Odin Sinsuat over the ambush of an election officer and her husband.

Meanwhile, Atty. Benedicto Bacani, Executive Director of independent election monitoring watchdog Institute for Autonomy and Governance, said that presence of violence and threats in the region can be attributed to incomplete decommissioning and armed groups.

Bacani also acknowledged that as the parliamentary elections are “standalone” elections to be held on October 13, the law enforcement authorities such as the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) can be devoted to deploy all their resources for the elections.

“‘Yung Comelec, on deck sila dito (They are on deck here). That’s why we are confident that this is something that can be preempted with a good security arrangement and all the resources of the PNP and AFP can be mobilized for the elections,” Bacani told Inquirer in an interview.  /jpv