COTABATO CITY — Masked men armed with sticks and iron rods destroyed two sport utility vehicles parked outside a voting center in Cotabato City on Monday, September 14, while ballots were being processed inside for the first-ever Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.
Cotabato City police chief Col. Jibin Bongcayao said the men, wearing ski masks, face masks, and hoodies, attempted to enter the Sero Central Elementary School voting center along Sinsuat Avenue at around noon but were repelled by police and Philippine Marines deployed at the site.
Two Rival-Party Vehicles Targeted Outside School Gate
The two vehicles — both Toyota Fortuners — belonged to members of a rival party fielding candidates for the Bangsamoro Parliament, Bongcayao said. They were parked along Sinsuat Avenue, just outside the two-hectare campus and less than 100 meters from Cotabato City Police Precinct 2.
The incident triggered panic among passersby and voters inside the school grounds. Investigators from the Cotabato City Police Office and barangay officials are working to identify the suspects for possible prosecution. No arrests had been announced as of posting.
Four Dead, 19 Injured Across Election-Related Incidents
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia said at a Monday afternoon briefing that a separate shootout inside Central Pilot Elementary School in Cotabato City killed one person and injured three, bringing the total election-related toll to four dead and 19 injured.
The deadliest single incident occurred hours before polls opened, when gunfire broke out outside Datu Usman Mampen Elementary School in Barangay Bagua 2. Bongcayao told AFP the confrontation began as a struggle over who would vote first among supporters of rival political groups jostling in a voting queue.
Garcia placed that incident at approximately 11:45 p.m. Sunday, with three killed and 15 wounded. Among the injured was Councilor Marouph Pabo Pasawiran, Cotabato City police said.
IED Kills Man in Cotabato City Barangay Sunday Night
Separately, an explosion at around 8 p.m. Sunday in Purok Amirol, Barangay Kalanganan killed a man identified as Zainodin Sapal Macabuat. Police said Macabuat was waiting for a construction foreman when he saw a bright white light and heard a blast, with shrapnel striking his torso.
Garcia said the Philippine National Police later determined the blast involved an improvised explosive device (IED).
PNP Counts Seven Suspected Election Incidents Nationwide
PNP information chief Col. Allen Rae Co said Monday that the force was investigating seven incidents treated as suspected election-related, comprising three shootings, three explosions, and the recovery of an IED in Basilan. Co said the shootings were reported in Basilan, Cotabato, and Maguindanao del Sur, while the explosions occurred in Cotabato.
The Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region later confirmed a broader total of 16 election-related incidents covering shooting, trapping, and explosion incidents across the region. Co described the overall polls as generally peaceful, calling the gunfire reports "isolated incidents in several areas."
Comelec Assumes Direct Control of Cotabato City and Maluso
The Comelec placed all 37 barangays of Cotabato City under its direct control following the deadly incidents late Sunday and early Monday. The poll body also placed Maluso town in Basilan under direct Comelec control after pre-shaded ballots were discovered in 36 of the town's 68 precincts.
The Comelec said it was investigating who was responsible for the alleged ballot tampering. Voting in Maluso was temporarily delayed while replacement official ballots were delivered. Placing an area under Comelec control gives the commission direct authority over local officials, government employees, and law enforcement involved in the election.
Historic Vote for 80-Seat Bangsamoro Parliament
Nearly 2.4 million registered voters participated in Monday's election to choose the 80 members of the Bangsamoro Parliament, which will in turn select the region's chief minister. The Comelec reported that 5,113 of 5,212 clustered precincts — or 98.1 percent — had opened as of 7:49 a.m., with Basilan posting the lowest opening rate at 81.46 percent.
Voting in Al-Barka, Basilan was extended by two hours, moving the close of polls to 9 p.m. The election formally closes the transition period managed by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, the interim regional government that was appointed in 2019. Canvassing was continuing and final results remained awaited as of posting.
By the Numbers
- 4 people killed in election-related incidents
- 19 people injured in election-related incidents
- 3 killed and 15 wounded in the Barangay Bagua 2 shooting alone
- 16 election-related incidents confirmed by the Police Regional Office–BARMM
- 7 incidents investigated by the PNP as suspected election-related (3 shootings, 3 explosions, 1 IED recovery)
- 36 of 68 precincts in Maluso, Basilan found with pre-shaded ballots
- 37 barangays of Cotabato City placed under Comelec control
- ~2.4 million registered voters in the BARMM parliamentary election
- 98.1% of clustered precincts (5,113 of 5,212) had opened by 7:49 a.m.
- 80 seats in the Bangsamoro Parliament being contested
Why This Matters
The September 14 election is a landmark event for the Bangsamoro region, formally ending a seven-year transitional period under the Bangsamoro Transition Authority that began in 2019 and transferring governance to a democratically elected parliament. The outbreak of election-related violence — four dead, 19 injured, and 16 confirmed incidents — and the discovery of pre-shaded ballots in Maluso raise serious concerns about the integrity of the inaugural vote. The Comelec's decision to assume direct control of Cotabato City and Maluso signals the gravity of the irregularities and the scale of the security challenge facing the region's first democratic exercise.
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