Close coordination among the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) helped ensure the generally peaceful conduct of the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), security officials said.

Lt. Col. Ronald Suscano, spokesperson of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID), said 92.8 percent of polling precincts experienced orderly voting.

“On behalf of the 6ID and Joint Task Force Central, we can say that the election was generally peaceful. About 92.8 percent of our precincts encountered no problems. There were only a few tense areas, but overall, the elections were peaceful and successful,” Suscano said.

He attributed the peaceful conduct of the elections to the close coordination among the Comelec, PNP and AFP, which enabled authorities to immediately address issues on the ground.

Maj. Orlando Ayllon, spokesperson of the AFP’s Western Mindanao Command, shared the same assessment, saying election-related tensions and incidents were isolated and quickly contained.

AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete, who visited troops in the region, directed military units to maintain heightened security following reports of explosions and shootings in Cotabato City that left four people dead.

Nafarrete, together with senior AFP officers, conducted election monitoring activities at Camp Siongco in Barangay Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, on 14 September.

Joining him were Philippine Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Donald M. Gumiran, Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Adonis Ariel G. Orio, Western Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Jose Vladimir R. Cagara, and AFP Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations Maj. Gen. Elmer B. Suderio.

“The AFP remains focused on maintaining a secure environment that will enable voters to exercise their right to vote freely and safely,” Nafarrete said.

Meanwhile, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said police secured the delivery of election paraphernalia to all 1,186 monitored voting centers across the six BARMM parliamentary areas.

As of 4 p.m. on Monday, 1,173 voting centers, or 98.9 percent, had already opened and conducted voting. The remaining 13 centers, all located in Basilan, had yet to begin operations.

Nartatez said police personnel remained deployed across the region to provide security and assistance while closely monitoring developments.

“We are not only securing the voting centers; we are also making sure that our personnel remain responsive to the needs on the ground throughout the voting period,” Nartatez said.

He also commended police personnel for maintaining security despite incidents involving gun violence, improvised explosive devices and threats from armed groups.

“While there are pockets of security challenges, the BARMM elections were peaceful and orderly in almost all parts of the region. We attribute this to the dedication and hard work of not only our personnel but all our partners, including the AFP and the Comelec,” he said.

Several incidents were recorded before and during election day, including shootings, explosions and the recovery of an improvised explosive device.

Cotabato City and Maluso, Basilan, were later placed under Comelec control following security concerns. Maluso was also affected by the discovery of pre-shaded ballots, prompting the Comelec to send 16,563 replacement ballots for 36 precincts.

Nartatez said police immediately adjusted deployments and coordinated with partner agencies to prevent further violence.

“Our personnel immediately responded to these incidents, adjusted our deployment where necessary, and worked closely with Comelec and our security partners to prevent further escalation and protect the electorate,” he said.

He added that police have been ordered to conduct thorough investigations, pursue suspects and build cases related to election incidents.

“We commend the people of BARMM for exercising their right to vote despite the challenges encountered during the elections. Their participation demonstrates their commitment to the democratic process and to building a peaceful Bangsamoro,” Nartatez said.