CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The first-ever parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) marked a historic milestone for the peace process, but the exercise was “severely undermined by systemic disenfranchisement, technical blunders, and a heavy military presence that sparked a climate of fear,” an election observer group reported.
In its preliminary report, the Commission on Elections (Comelec)-accredited Katungod Bangsamoro observer mission cited “glaring incidents of violence” during the Sept. 14 voting.
The consortium, which deployed monitors across Cotabato City, Maguindanao del Norte, and Maguindanao del Sur, rejected assertions that the elections were “generally peaceful,” warning that such a description trivializes the trauma, fear, and injuries that voters experienced.
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“When a voter runs from a polling place because of gunfire, the right to vote has been effectively impaired,” Atty. Carlos Zarate, one of the observers of Katungod Bangsamoro, told the Inquirer Tuesday afternoon.
The group said it observed armed partisan confrontations, physical violence, and mob action in multiple areas, including Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Matanog, and Sultan Mastura.
In one incident at Nabundas Central Elementary School in Shariff Saydona Mustapha, voting was halted by 11:00 a.m. due to a nearby armed encounter, it noted.
“A prolonged exchange of gunfire, suggesting a running battle, could be heard roughly 250 meters outside the school,” Zarate texted this reporter late Monday afternoon.
Logistical and technical failures further disenfranchised voters, according to the group.
It observed that delayed election paraphernalia deterred early voting for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, while defective vote-counting machines (VCMs) were flagged in Upi, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Odin Sinsuat, and Shariff Aguak in the Maguindanao provinces.
The observers also documented instances of electoral board members allegedly feeding ballots directly into VCMs without the voters present, raising concerns over ballot integrity.
Observers also pointed to a heavy deployment of military and police forces.
While authorities cited the need for peace and order, Katungod Bangsamoro warned that this display of force, coupled with the deployment of armed police officers inside polling centers to replace withdrawn teachers, “likely discouraged voters and compromised their sense of safety.” /das
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