Bangsamoro Election Marred by Deadly Violence

Tensions and violence cast a shadow over a landmark election in the southern Philippines, where voters began choosing the first elected parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on September 14th. Polling opened under heavy security, marking a major turning point in a decades-long effort to replace armed conflict with democratic self-government. Nearly 2.4 million people are registered to vote across the autonomous region, with 80 seats in the new Bangsamoro Parliament at stake.

The incident involved supporters of rival political groups who became embroiled in a confrontation that reportedly began as an argument over positions in a queue, escalated into a physical clash, and then gunfire. Three people were killed and 15 others were wounded in the incident, prompting the Commission on Elections to temporarily place Cotabato City under its direct control, with security forces moving to prevent further disorder.

Images from the area showed the intense situation, with groups of people seen from above surrounding and attacking a vehicle close to a polling location. Other scenes depicted individuals rushing to assist an injured person, carrying the victim toward an ambulance. Outside the voting center, crowds shouted while security personnel struggled to maintain order despite the disturbing scenes, voting continued inside polling stations where the atmosphere was considerably calmer. Men and women patiently queued to find their assigned precincts, checked voting information, and awaited their turn to cast ballots in this election of historic significance for the region.

Voters carefully completed their ballots before placing them into the election system, while others waited outside polling rooms for their turn, despite the ongoing unrest. A separate disturbance at a Cotabato polling center later on Monday resulted in another death, according to the Associated Press. As of early Monday, the Commission on Elections reported that about 98.1% of precincts had successfully opened, supported by the deployment of over 20,000 military and police personnel to secure the election.

The heavy security deployment reflected deep concerns surrounding a vote taking place in an area with a long history of insurgency, clan rivalries, and politically related violence. Commission on Elections Chairman George Irwin Garcia stressed that the priority was ensuring residents were able to exercise their democratic rights. Garcia emphasized that their sole goal was for everyone to be able to vote, underscoring that the election represented far more than a routine regional political contest, emerging from one of the Philippines' longest-running conflicts involving the national government and Muslim separatist movements seeking greater political autonomy in Mindanao.

A crucial breakthrough came in 2014 when the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed a comprehensive peace agreement. This deal was designed to end decades of separatist conflict and replace armed struggle with a more powerful autonomous political structure in the Muslim-majority areas of the southern Philippines. The agreement was followed by the Bangsamoro Organic Law in 2018, which established the legal framework for expanded autonomy, with voters approving the arrangement through a plebiscite in 2019.

For years, appointed officials under the Bangsamoro Transition Authority were responsible for building institutions to be handed over to an elected parliament. The September 14th election is intended to complete that transition. The autonomous region is unique within the Philippines for operating under a parliamentary system rather than the national government's presidential structure.

The chief minister is not directly elected by the public; instead, once the new parliament is formed, members will choose the next chief minister from among themselves by majority vote. That person will head the regional executive government, with Abdul Ralph Makakua remaining the interim chief minister of BARMM until this transition is completed.

Abdul Ralph Makakua, a veteran figure in the Bangsamoro movement and a former chief of staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, became interim chief minister in March 2025 and remains identified in that position by official records. Makakua was seen voting during the historic election and appealed to residents ahead of the vote to recognize the significance of their ballots and exercise their democratic rights responsibly. He stated that the vote is sacred, a trust entrusted to every voter, with his appearance at the polls highlighting the extraordinary transformation in the region.

Many political figures now competing through elections emerged from a movement that spent decades confronting the Philippine state through armed struggle, and today, former rebel leaders, rival political organizations, and established political families are competing for power through parliamentary elections. This transformation remains incomplete and fragile, as the conflict in the southern Philippines claimed more than 120,000 lives and displaced roughly 2 million people over the decades. Poverty, weak infrastructure, political rivalries, and security threats have also complicated attempts to build stable institutions, according to estimates cited by Reuters.

Despite persistent challenges, BARMM has seen improvement, with its economy growing by about 5% in 2025, up from 3.5% in 2024, and faster than the national growth rate reported for that year. Poverty has also declined. However, security remains one of the greatest concerns for the region, which has a history not only of separatist conflict but also of clan feuds, private armed groups, and extremist activity. The challenge for authorities is therefore to prevent local political rivalries from undermining confidence in the new parliamentary system.

The memories of the 2017 battle for Marawi remain particularly powerful, as Islamic State-linked militants seized parts of the city and held out for five months against Philippine government forces. More than 1,000 people, mostly militants, were killed, and large areas of the city were destroyed during the fighting. The peace process was intended, in part, to address the political and economic grievances that had allowed armed movements to maintain influence in the southern Philippines. Under the 2014 agreement, greater autonomy was offered in exchange for forgoing a separate Muslim state.

Thousands of MILF fighters were expected to undergo a process of decommissioning and return to civilian life as part of the peace agreement. However, that process has encountered difficulties, with the MILF suspending the decommissioning of its remaining approximately 14,000 fighters after raising concerns that some government commitments connected to the peace deal were not being met. These unresolved issues explain why the parliamentary election is being watched closely, both inside and outside the Philippines, by international observers, foreign governments, and people seeking to measure the transition from insurgency to democratic politics over the longer term.

He stated that the election marks a milestone in BARMM's continuing journey toward lasting peace, democratic governance, and meaningful self-determination. That ambition stood in sharp contrast to the violence, where attackers targeted vehicles and injured people were carried away near one voting location, even as residents continued lining up to cast their ballots only a short distance away.

Residents continued lining up, searching for their assigned precincts, and casting their ballots, with women and men waiting patiently inside voting centers, guided by election personnel. Some voters appeared unfamiliar with aspects of the new parliamentary system, while others moved quickly through their assigned precincts. This contrast captured the central challenge facing Bangsamoro: moving from a history marked by armed confrontation toward institutions where political disputes are decided through elections rather than violence. Cotabato City itself carries particular importance as it serves as BARMM's regional center and is home to the Bangsamoro government center.

Security problems in Cotabato City were especially sensitive during such a symbolic election, while authorities also dealt with other irregularities elsewhere in the region. In Maluso, Basilan, election officials discovered pre-shaded ballots in dozens of precincts, forcing the Commission on Elections to order replacement ballots and place the municipality under its control. Polling was scheduled to run until 7 p.m., with precincts that opened late allowed to continue until 9 p.m.

Election results could begin becoming clear as early as September 15th, determining far more than who occupies seats in a regional legislature for Bangsamoro residents. The new parliament will inherit responsibility for governing a region still trying to overcome poverty, political division, and the legacy of armed conflict, also determining who becomes chief minister. The violence in Cotabato serves as a stark reminder of how difficult that transition remains, but the sight of voters continuing to queue despite security concerns illustrates why this election matters.

The success or failure of that process could help determine whether the southern Philippines moves further toward stable democratic self-government or whether old political and security divisions continue to escalate. This election represents a crucial juncture in the region's path towards lasting peace and self-determination.