Watch: Philippines' Historic BARMM Elections Marred By Violence, Pre-Shaded Ballots

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The credibility of the Philippines' first parliamentary elections in Muslim Mindanao is already in question, with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reporting pre-shaded ballots and violence before polls opened on Monday (September 14).

The Comelec en banc decided early Monday morning to place two areas, Maluso municipality in Basilan province and the region's political center, Cotabato City, under its control due to increasing violations of electoral rules and spiralling violence.

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“We determined, as of last night (September 13), that 36 of the 68 precincts' ballots were compromised. We found that all of them had pre-shaded ballots,” poll body chairperson Jorge Erwin Garcia revealed. He said they have details on the culprit and that he already ordered the reprinting of the ballots from the affected precincts.

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Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco told reporters that the new ballots would have to be flown from Manila, necessarily delaying the opening of polling precincts until 2pm (local time) at the earliest. He added that he hopes there would be enough time within the day to complete the casting of votes. Otherwise, the Comelec would have to decide whether to continue the voting on Tuesday or schedule special elections for the affected areas.

There are 80 seats up for grabs in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elections that will determine members of the region's legislative body. These include 40 political party representatives, 32 district representatives and eight sectoral representatives. BARMM is the Philippines' only autonomous region with a parliamentary system of governance, created through a peace agreement after decades of armed struggle by the Moro people.

Explosions, gunfire

Minutes prior to the opening of polling precincts on Monday morning, gunfire erupted at 6.50am at Pilot Central Elementary School in Cotabato City as supporters of rival parties exchanged accusations of poll violations.

Watch the video of the incident below (Warning: sounds of gunfire)

Voters, journalists and observer mission members of Katungod Bangsamoro ran and dove for cover as automatic gunfire raked the air on a sunny Monday morning.

No fatalities were reported in the incident. It was not immediately known if elections at the said school pushed through.

This followed another similar incident in the city a few hours earlier, in which five were killed. Early Sunday night, an explosion rocked Cotabato City, injuring the alleged perpetrator.

Massive vote buying, intimidation

Earlier, peace-building group Climate Conflict Action Asia (CCAA) reported massive electoral violations such as bribery and intimidation.“Vote buying was observed in Cotabato City and some municipalities in Lanao del Sur,” CCAA said, with offers ranging from P1,000 to P5,000 (Dh60 to Dh300)

The organisation said the practice had been a regular fixture in previous elections as candidates sought to secure their vote banks or expand their reach in communities where they had limited political influence.

International Crisis Group (ICG), another observer to the elections, expressed doubts about whether the elections would be free and fair given how prevalent vote buying is not just in Muslim Mindanao but in the Philippines.

“[M]any locals fear that victory will depend on which political bloc has the most cash to dispense. Pre-election assessments highlight this risk, warning that it could undermine the election's legitimacy.”

ICG also assailed the practice of command votes, under which influential local leaders tell entire communities whom they should vote for, which presents another challenge.

“While mayors and governors are not running in this election, they have an interest in the fortunes of certain candidates, especially if members of their clans are competing,” the group explained.

What the autonomous government must be

Election observers' group Katungod Bangsamoro said the Regional Parliamentary Political Parties (RPPP) are competing alongside traditional political dynasties whose entrenched influence remains a serious concern.

“At the same time, factions and personalities emerging from the region's revolutionary movements are now testing their legitimacy and mandate through electoral politics,” Katungod said.

This convergence of parties, dynasties, local political interests and competing factions makes independent scrutiny especially important, Katungod said, adding that the historic polls should not reproduce the old politics under a new institutional name.

“The promise of the Bangsamoro transition is precisely to create a political order in which people have a genuine voice in determining their future. The ballot must reflect the free will of the peoples in the Bangsamoro-not the power of political dynasties, warlordism, patronage, money, intimidation or factional maneuvering,” the group implored.

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