Two areas in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) were placed under the control of the Commission of Elections (Comelec) following reported deaths and compromised ballots as the region began its first parliamentary election on Monday.

There are 80 seats at stake in the BARMM parliamentary election, which will be the region's legislative body. This is considered a crucial step in its quest for peace after decades of fighting. BARMM covers five provinces, three cities and 63 villages in eight geographical areas. There are an estimated 2.4 million voters.

In an interview with reporters in Cotabato, Comelec chairman Erwin Garcia announced that Cotabato City is placed under the Comelec control after some violent incidents occurred hours before voting precincts opened at 5 am.

Garcia said three people died while 16 others were hurt during the three violent incidents in Cotabato City since Sunday night. Four persons were injured in another shooting incident in a Cotabato school and one died later, Garcia added in a TV interview.

"Thank God, no one was hit during the first shooting incident, while the second was an explosion in which the victim was the very person carrying the explosive. It appears that no fragmentation was seen and therefore the conclusion of the Philippine National Police (PNP) is that this was an IED or improvised explosive device. We thought it was a grenade, the actual victim who was holding the IED is in the hospital," he said.

"Last night at around 11:45 there was an incident where, while people were lining up to vote, an altercation occurred, a heated argument that initially resulted in physical violence including a fistfight ended in a shooting where three people died and 15 others were injured," he added.

Garcia said Maluso, Basilan was also placed under Comelec control after ballots of 36 out of the 68 precincts in the town were compromised. He said fresh unmarked ballots were flown from Manila to Zamboanga City where these were sent to Basilan by helicopter.

"That is an election offense and at the same time we will look into whether this can be classified as election sabotage. That is non-bailable, if ever," he said referring to the possible liability of the suspect responsible in compromising the ballots.

Garcia noted that the voting in the affected precinct were delayed as the voters will have to wait for the arrival of the new ballots. Voting precincts in the BARMM will close at 9 pm, said Garcia.

Despite the violent incidents and the compromised ballots, Garcia assures that there will be no failure of election noting that there are no incidents of loss or destruction of elections paraphernalia recorded.

"The violence is not to the extent that our fellow citizens can no longer vote," he said.

Garcia said the Comelec can declare 80 percent of the winners Monday night and name the winners Tuesday.

Robina Asido/PHS