The Philippine National Police on Monday urged voters and supporters to remain calm and observe election rules as voting continued in the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections.

The appeal came hours after gun violence outside a polling place in Cotabato City left at least three people dead.

Cotabato City Police chief Col. Jibin Bongcayao said the incident happened at the Datu Usman Mampen school site in Barangay Bagua 2 after a dispute over queue positioning among supporters.

“It started as a struggle for position in the queue between two groups. It led to shoving, escalated into a fistfight, and eventually gunfire broke out in a crowded area,” Bongcayao said.

Despite the incident, the PNP said voting across BARMM was generally peaceful and orderly, with 97.38 percent of monitored voting locations already operational.

“Voting has started in the majority of monitored locations across Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte and the Special Geographic Area. Four areas—Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi and the Special Geographic Area—have recorded a 100 percent start status,” the PNP said.

In Basilan, voting had started in 165 of 189 tracked locations, or 87.30 percent, while Maguindanao del Norte recorded 264 of 271 locations, or 97.42 percent.

“As voting continues, the PNP remains closely monitoring developments on the ground and maintaining police presence in and around voting centers. Personnel are also in close coordination with the Commission on Elections and other concerned agencies to address any security concerns and help ensure that voters can cast their votes safely and peacefully,” the PNP said.

“The PNP reiterates its call for everyone to remain calm, observe election rules and respect the right of every voter to participate in the electoral process,” it added.

Earlier, a man was severely injured in an explosion Sunday night near Amirul School in Barangay Kapimpilan, Mother Kalanganan, Cotabato City.

Initial reports said the victim may have been injured by an explosive device he was allegedly carrying.