The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has placed Cotabato City and Maluso, Basilan under its control following security and ballot-related incidents during the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections on Monday, September 14.

The move came as violent incidents disrupted voting in Cotabato City, while authorities encountered pre-shaded or compromised ballots in Maluso. COMELEC subsequently took control of the two areas as the poll body worked with security forces to address the incidents and protect the integrity of the elections.

In Maluso, the discovery of the affected ballots prompted COMELEC to order replacement ballots so voting could proceed using uncompromised election materials.

The incidents have led to voting delays in some affected areas, but elections continued across much of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The September 14 vote marks the first parliamentary election in BARMM, with nearly 2.4 million registered voters choosing representatives for the region’s 80-seat parliament. More than 20,000 security personnel were deployed across the region to help secure the polls.

The historic election is a key step in BARMM’s transition from an interim government to a parliament chosen by Bangsamoro voters.

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