Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Tuesday said the poll body has recorded no election-related violent incidents since the start of the election period in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The Comelec has placed 27 municipalities under the red category, including 21 in Lanao del Sur, and another 27 municipalities under the orange category based on their history of election-related incidents.

Garcia clarified that the classifications do not necessarily mean the areas are currently experiencing unrest.

“The classifications are based on the history of previous elections in those municipalities,” Garcia said.

Authorities have established 167 checkpoints across 105 municipalities and two cities in the Bangsamoro region following the implementation of the election gun ban.

So far, no one has been arrested or apprehended for violating the gun ban since its enforcement began, Garcia said.

“There has not been a single arrest or confiscation involving firearms or prohibited deadly weapons,” he added.

The poll chief also addressed recent security incidents that authorities determined were unrelated to the elections.

One involved the killing of a councilor in North Cotabato, outside the Bangsamoro region. Although the victim was from BARMM, Garcia said police investigators believe the incident stemmed from a personal dispute rather than election-related motives.

Another involved separate grenade attacks that injured several people, including members of the Philippine Army. Garcia said investigators believe the attacks may have been retaliatory acts following the neutralization of a commander of a rebel group, rather than election-related violence.

“So far, since the start of the election period, the implementation of the gun ban, and the establishment of checkpoints, we have not recorded any election-related violence in the Bangsamoro,” Garcia said.

Garcia said Comelec officials will travel to Marawi City from 29 to 31 August for stakeholder briefings ahead of the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.

During the visit, the Comelec will sign an agreement with the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education to formalize the participation of teachers in the polls.

The commission will also sign a memorandum of agreement with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines to provide legal assistance to teachers, support voters, and strengthen voter education campaigns ahead of the elections.