COTABATO CITY—Despite the series of gun attacks mostly in the Maguindanao provinces that so far left 14 people dead, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday remained hopeful that the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) next month will be “peaceful, orderly and credible.”
“We are upbeat for the Sept. 14 regional elections,” Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia told reporters at the sidelines of “Botong Bangsamoro,” the poll body’s voter education and information activity held here on Wednesday.
“We would like to assure that elections on Sept. 14 will happen as scheduled, nothing can stop that from happening. We are on top of the situation, we recorded only one election-related violence,” Garcia said.
He was referring to the Aug. 15 ambush on the convoy of BARMM interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte. Macacua and his companions were unhurt during the incident.
Garcia said there were no plans to place any areas in the Bangsamoro under Comelec control following the ambush of Macacua.
He said the security situation in the region had markedly improved compared to previous elections. It is the “first time in the history of Bangsamoro,” Garcia noted, where there were less than 20 weapons confiscated at checkpoints, and there was only one election-related incident recorded.
He added that in previous polls, there were “already many incidents this early on.”
Garcia said the poll body and the security sector considered only the ambush on the convoy of Macacua as “election-related” among the 43 shooting incidents since the gun ban was implemented on July 16. He said the ambush was considered as such because Macacua is a candidate for the third district seat of Maguindanao del Norte.
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Fewer ‘red’ areas
“Truthfully, there are many towns here in Bangsamoro that used to be ‘red’ category areas. Now, it has lessened. They have become ‘green,’ ‘yellow,’ ‘orange’ [category areas], and the ‘red’ category areas in the entire Bangsamoro have not increased,” Garcia said.
“This only means one thing. The entire Bangsamoro is quiet and peaceful. We are in full control of the situation in the Bangsamoro,” he added.
Areas under the red category are those with serious threats and a history of election-related violence. Earlier, the Comelec reported that there were 26 areas in the Bangsamoro under the red category, while 23 were orange, 41 were yellow, and 18 were green, as of July 29.
Garcia said the Comelec is all set for the historic political exercise, having deployed the needed equipment for the upcoming Bangsamoro polls.
The remaining challenge now, with over two weeks before Election Day, is to heighten the voters’ interest to cast their ballot.
“This is a challenge to everyone. With how long we have asked for an election, having been postponed many times, it might be that only a few people will vote,” Garcia said.
“It is sad if we spend so much [and] prepare for so long, with how many times it has been postponed or reset, only for a small percentage of the Bangsamoro to vote,” he added.
On Tuesday, Garcia briefed the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID), police and other election stakeholders about the Comelec’s committees on “kontra bigay” (vote-buying) and on environmentally sustainable elections.
The briefing served as a platform to strengthen interagency coordination and deepen the participants’ understanding of the mandates, roles and responsibilities of the committees, particularly in preventing and addressing vote-buying and vote-selling.
Garcia stressed the Comelec’s commitment to credible, efficient, fair, peaceful and orderly elections. He also underscored the importance of sustained coordination and cooperation among government agencies, election stakeholders, and other partners to address potential challenges and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.
Military, police support
Brig. Gen. Ricky Bunayog, 6ID commander, reaffirmed the military’s commitment to supporting the Comelec in fulfilling its constitutional mandate, particularly by maintaining a secure environment for voters, election personnel and other stakeholders throughout the electoral process.
“I assure you that the 6ID will fully support Comelec in the performance of its duties to help ensure a peaceful and successful election,” Bunayog told Garcia.
Capt. Steffi Salanguit, spokesperson for the Bangsamoro regional police, said the 43 shooting incidents were recorded from July 16 to Aug. 25.
Maguindanao del Sur recorded the highest number of shooting incidents at 16, followed by Maguindanao del Norte with 14, seven in Lanao del Sur, four in Basilan and two in Cotabato City.
Salanguit said these were either due to personal grudge, “rido” (family feud), revenge, or drug-related activities. The gun-related incidents left 14 people dead and eight wounded.
The BARMM was established in 2019 with the ratification of Republic Act No. 11054, or the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which was anchored on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the landmark peace deal signed by the national government and erstwhile separatist rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 2014, after 17 years of peace negotiations. —WITH A REPORT FROM DREMA QUITAYEN-BRAVO
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