COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Bangsamoro interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua has condemned the violence that erupted in Cotabato City ahead of the first parliamentary elections of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), urging residents and political stakeholders to remain calm and avoid actions that could further escalate tensions.
Macacua called on the public to exercise sobriety, restraint and respect for the electoral process, stressing that violence has no place in the region’s transition toward democratic self-government.
The appeal came after a deadly shooting in Cotabato City on Sunday, September 13, just hours before voting began. According to reports from Reuters and the Associated Press, three people were killed and 15 others were injured in the incident.
The violence prompted the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to place Cotabato City under its control, with authorities moving to strengthen security as voters headed to the polls.
Violence threatens a historic political moment
The incident occurred at a particularly sensitive moment for BARMM.
On Monday, voters across the autonomous region began participating in its first parliamentary elections, a major milestone in the political transition that followed the 2014 peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Nearly 2.4 million registered voters are eligible to participate in the election, which will determine the members of an 80-seat Bangsamoro Parliament. The parliament will subsequently select the region’s chief minister.
For Macacua, preserving peace during the electoral process is critical to ensuring that the Bangsamoro transition remains focused on political participation rather than conflict.
Security tightened across Bangsamoro
Authorities significantly increased security deployments ahead of the vote, with more checkpoints and personnel positioned across the region.
Reuters reported that security forces moved quickly following the Cotabato City incident, while COMELEC said voting was generally proceeding in an orderly manner across BARMM despite isolated problems.
The election also encountered other security and logistical issues, including reports of pre-shaded ballots in Basilan that required officials to address the problem before voting could proceed normally.
Despite these challenges, authorities continued to urge voters to participate peacefully.
Why Cotabato City matters
Cotabato City holds particular importance in the Bangsamoro political transition. It serves as the seat of the BARMM government and is one of the areas participating in the historic parliamentary election.
The city has also previously been affected by political and security tensions, making the latest incident especially significant as the region attempts to demonstrate that democratic institutions can replace decades of armed conflict and political instability.
The 2014 peace agreement marked a major shift in the region’s history. Under the agreement, the MILF abandoned its longstanding goal of establishing a separate state in exchange for expanded autonomy and a political pathway for former combatants and their communities.
A critical test for the Bangsamoro peace process
The first BARMM parliamentary election is being closely watched as a test of whether the region’s peace process can be translated into functioning democratic institutions.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. described the election as a milestone in BARMM’s continuing journey toward lasting peace, democratic governance and self-determination.
Against that backdrop, Macacua’s call for sobriety carries particular weight.
The violence in Cotabato City has underscored the challenges still facing the Bangsamoro transition, but officials are urging communities not to allow isolated incidents to derail the broader democratic process.
As voting continues, the central challenge for BARMM is clear: turning a historic peace agreement into a peaceful political future — even when tensions threaten to test that transition.
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