Various groups in Lanao del Sur have asked the Department of National Defense (DND) to order the Armed Forces of the Philippines to stop erecting or manning physical barriers at voting centers ahead of the 14 September Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.

In an open letter to Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., the United Coalition of Civic Organizations, Ulama, Professionals and Youth of Lanao del Sur said bamboo structures resembling narrow, maze-like channels were being prepared in about 40 percent of the province’s municipalities.

The group said voters would be forced through single-file passages controlled by uniformed personnel, similar to structures used during the May 2025 elections that allegedly caused long queues and discouraged some voters from casting ballots.

It added that the barriers also posed difficulties for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and pregnant voters.

The coalition cited constitutional and Comelec restrictions governing the presence of security forces near polling places and asked Teodoro to order the structures removed unless authorized in writing by the Comelec.

“We want soldiers on the roads, at the checkpoints and on the ballot transport routes, in force. We ask only that they not be at the door,” it said.