Monday's historic Bangsamoro parliamentary elections were overshadowed by a wave of violence in Cotabato City, where a group of masked men armed with sticks and iron rods attacked two sport utility vehicles parked near a busy voting center — one of several alarming incidents that left four people dead and 19 others wounded across the region on September 14.
Cotabato City Police Chief Col. Jibin Bongcayao confirmed that the attackers, who wore ski masks, face masks, and hoodies, attempted to force their way into the Sero Central Elementary School polling site along Sinsuat Avenue at around noon. Security personnel from the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Marines stationed at the campus successfully turned them away, Bongcayao said.
Two Toyota Fortuners Destroyed Near Police Precinct
Though blocked from entering the school grounds, the group proceeded to smash two Toyota Fortuner SUVs parked along Sinsuat Avenue just outside the school's perimeter. According to Col. Bongcayao, both vehicles belonged to members of a rival political party that had fielded candidates in the Bangsamoro parliamentary race. The parking area sits within the two-hectare school campus boundary and is fewer than 100 meters from Cotabato City Police Precinct 2.
The attack sent panic rippling through the area, alarming bystanders and voters who were present inside the compound while ballot processing was underway. The Cotabato City Police Office, working alongside barangay officials, launched an investigation to identify and charge the perpetrators. No arrests had been reported as of the time of filing.
Shootout Inside Another Polling Center Adds to Toll
Commission on Elections Chairman George Garcia disclosed during a Monday afternoon press briefing that a separate shooting incident broke out inside Central Pilot Elementary School, also in Cotabato City, killing one individual and injuring three others. That incident pushed the cumulative election-related toll to four fatalities and 19 wounded, Garcia said.
The most lethal episode of the day had actually unfolded before polls even opened. Gunfire erupted outside Datu Usman Mampen Elementary School in Barangay Bagua 2, reportedly ignited by a dispute over who among rival supporters would be first in the voting queue. Comelec Chairman Garcia placed the time of that confrontation at approximately 11:45 p.m. Sunday. Three people were killed and 15 others were injured, with Cotabato City police identifying city Councilor Marouph Pabo Pasawiran among those wounded, according to Bongcayao.
IED Blast Claims Another Life the Night Before
Separate from the polling-center incidents, an explosion Sunday evening around 8 p.m. in Purok Amirol, Barangay Kalanganan, killed a man identified as Zainodin Sapal Macabuat. Police said Macabuat had been waiting for a construction foreman when he noticed a bright white flash and heard a detonation, with shrapnel tearing into his torso. Comelec Chairman Garcia confirmed that the Philippine National Police subsequently classified the device as an improvised explosive device, or IED.
PNP Tallies Seven Suspected Election Incidents Nationwide
PNP Information Chief Col. Allen Rae Co told reporters Monday that national police were looking into seven incidents flagged as potentially election-related — a breakdown of three shootings, three explosions, and the recovery of one IED in Basilan. Co said the shootings were recorded in Basilan, Cotabato, and Maguindanao del Sur, while the three explosions all took place in Cotabato.
The Police Regional Office for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region later reported a wider figure of 16 confirmed election-related incidents spanning shootings, trapping incidents, and explosions across the region. Despite the figures, Col. Co characterized the overall conduct of the polls as largely orderly, describing the outbreaks of gunfire as "isolated incidents in several areas."
Comelec Steps In Directly Over Cotabato City and Maluso
Responding to the severity of the security situation, the Commission on Elections placed all 37 barangays of Cotabato City under its direct control. The poll body similarly assumed direct authority over Maluso town in Basilan after investigators discovered that 36 of the municipality's 68 precincts contained pre-shaded official ballots — a finding that pointed to possible ballot tampering.
Voting in Maluso was temporarily suspended while replacement ballots were transported to the affected precincts, the Comelec reported. The commission said it was actively working to determine who was behind the apparent manipulation. When the Comelec assumes direct control of a locality, it gains immediate authority over local officials, government workers, and law enforcement personnel involved in election operations in that area.
A Watershed Moment for the Bangsamoro Region
Despite the violence and irregularities, the elections proceeded across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, with nearly 2.4 million registered voters casting ballots to fill all 80 seats of the newly established Bangsamoro Parliament. The parliament, once seated, will choose the region's chief minister.
The Comelec reported that as of 7:49 a.m. Monday, 5,113 of 5,212 clustered precincts — representing 98.1 percent — had already opened for voting. Basilan posted the lowest precinct-opening rate at 81.46 percent, prompting authorities to extend voting in Al-Barka, Basilan by two hours, pushing the local close of polls to 9 p.m.
The election formally concludes the transition period governed by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, the interim regional administration that was appointed in 2019 and has overseen the region for the past several years. Canvassing of results was still ongoing as of the time of this report, with final tallies yet to be released.
By the Numbers
- 4 people killed in election-related violence
- 19 people wounded across all election-related incidents
- 3 killed and 15 injured in the pre-dawn Barangay Bagua 2 shooting alone
- 16 election-related incidents confirmed by the Police Regional Office–BARMM
- 7 incidents under PNP investigation as potentially election-related (3 shootings, 3 explosions, 1 IED recovery)
- 36 out of 68 precincts in Maluso, Basilan found with pre-shaded ballots
- 37 barangays of Cotabato City placed under direct Comelec authority
- ~2.4 million registered voters in the Bangsamoro parliamentary election
- 98.1% of clustered precincts (5,113 of 5,212) had opened by 7:49 a.m.
- 80 seats contested in the inaugural Bangsamoro Parliament
Why This Matters
The September 14 vote is a defining moment for the Bangsamoro region, marking the formal end of a transitional governance period under the Bangsamoro Transition Authority that began in 2019 and handing political power to a democratically elected parliament for the first time. The documented violence — four dead, 19 injured, and 16 confirmed incidents — alongside the discovery of pre-shaded ballots in Maluso, cast a long shadow over the legitimacy and credibility of this inaugural exercise in democratic self-governance. The Comelec's decision to assume direct control in both Cotabato City and Maluso underscores the depth of the security and integrity challenges that authorities must resolve before final results can be certified with public confidence.
Source: Wire reports