3 Killed, 15 Injured in Shooting Ahead of Landmark BARMM Parliamentary Election

Three people were killed and 15 others injured in a shooting at a polling centre in the southern Philippines, hours before voting began for the first parliamentary election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The incident took place shortly before midnight on Sunday in Cotabato City, Maguindanao del Norte province, according to local police. The shooting reportedly followed a confrontation between supporters of rival political factions over their position in the queue at the polling centre.

What began as pushing and fistfights eventually escalated into gunfire, with the crowded polling area turning into a scene of panic, local reports said.

The violence came just as voters across BARMM were preparing to cast their ballots on Monday in a landmark election that will determine the region's first elected parliament. Around 2.4 million registered voters are eligible to vote for 80 parliamentary seats contested by 13 political parties, according to local media reports.

Authorities had already increased security across the autonomous region in anticipation of possible election-related violence. More than 20,000 security personnel have been deployed at polling locations, while rapid response teams have been placed on standby to respond to incidents.

The election is being closely watched as a major test of the peace process in the Muslim-majority region, which has experienced decades of armed conflict and insurgency. The parliamentary vote is intended to strengthen the region's autonomous institutions and provide a democratic framework for self-governance.

The BARMM autonomy arrangement emerged from a 2014 peace agreement between the Philippine government and Muslim separatists. International partners and peace monitors have regarded the election as an important test of whether the political institutions created under the agreement can help sustain the fragile peace.

The decades-long conflict in the region claimed more than 120,000 lives and displaced an estimated two million people. Against that backdrop, the establishment of an elected regional parliament represents a significant shift from armed confrontation towards democratic governance.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged residents to participate in the election, describing it as an important milestone in the region's transition towards lasting peace and self-determination.

“The election marks a milestone in the continuing journey of BARMM towards lasting peace, democratic governance and meaningful self-determination,” Marcos said in a video message, calling the vote a defining moment for both the region and the Philippines.

The pre-election shooting, however, has highlighted the continuing security challenges facing BARMM as it attempts to consolidate the gains of the peace process through democratic institutions.