12 hotspots in BARMM elections identified

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has identified 12 municipalities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as areas of concern for the coming BARMM parliamentary elections.

All 12 municipalities were classified under the “red category,” the highest in the classification of election areas of concern as determined by the Comelec.

Areas placed under the red category have a history of election-related violence and presence of armed and other threat groups that may compromise the conduct of a free and fair elections.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said six municipalities in Lanao del Sur were placed under the red category, five in Maguindanao del Sur and one in Basilan.

These municipalities are Lumba-Bayabao, Masiu, Mulondo, Poona Bayabao, Taparan and Taraka in Lanao del Sur; Buluan, Datu Paglas, Mangudadatu, Paglat and Pandag in Maguindanao del Sur, and Al-Barka in Basilan.

So far, no area in the Bangsamoro region has been placed under Comelec control.

“The peace and order situation in the Bangsamoro region is generally peaceful to this day,” Garcia said. “We see no reason to place any area under Comelec control yet.”

The first-ever parliamentary elections in the BARMM will be conducted on Oct. 13.

Aside from Basilan, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Sur, the parliamentary elections will be conducted in the provinces of Maguindanao del Norte and Tawi-Tawi as well as in the cities of Lamitan and Marawi, and in Cotabato Special Geographic Area.

Earlier, eight aspirants for the BARMM parliamentary seats signed a covenant for a clean and peaceful election. They thanked the Philippine Marine Corps, the Army's 6th Infantry Division and the Cotabato City police for their efforts to secure the BARMM electoral exercise.