GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The Commission on Elections – Bangsa Moro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (COMELEC-BARMM) has recorded six deaths and 15 injured due to election-related violence in the recently concluded BSKE 2023 elections.
In a statement, COMELEC-BARMM Regional Director, Attorney Ray Sumalipao, said that their office has recorded 29 election-related incidents that resulted in six deaths and 15 injuries. The director also clarified that despite the recorded incidents the conduct of the BSKE in the BARMM Region was never a failure and all the winning candidates were proclaimed.
"We have no failure of elections and all winning candidates were proclaimed," Sumalipao, in a local interview, disclosed.
Sumalipao also said that all of the 2,574 barangays in the BARMM Region successfully voted and the incidents that were recorded were considered as isolated.
"No failure. No special elections," Sumalipao emphasized. The COMELEC official further said that in areas like BARMM, it is very common that candidates gunning for the position are closely related, even neighbors and siblings go toe-to-toe for one position. He then advised that cooler heads must prevail to prevent atrocities from happening.
Meanwhile, Sumalipao has acknowledged the services and support of the security personnel from the PNP and the AFP. COMELEC personnel in the BARMM were also accounted for and safe during the conduct of the elections, the director informed.