108 BARMM areas under security watch ahead of polls

LANAO DEL NORTE — Security forces face a formidable operational test ahead of the historic 14 September parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), after election officials placed roughly 90.7 percent of local jurisdictions under security watchlists.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) flagged 108 of the region’s 119 administrative units under Red, Orange, or Yellow threat categories, reflecting historical tensions or ongoing security concerns across the island and mainland provinces.

Only 18 jurisdictions — classified under the Green category, including the entire province of Tawi-Tawi — remain free of security watch designations.

The threat assessment encompasses 26 areas under the Red category, heavily concentrated in Lanao del Sur due to serious armed threats and a history of election-related violence.

Another 23 areas were placed under the Orange category for serious armed threats, while 41 were categorized as Yellow due to past election incidents.

The BARMM administrative grid comprises 116 municipalities, two component cities (Marawi and Lamitan), and one independent city (Cotabato City).

“Many red-flagged areas reflect historical tensions rather than active, ongoing armed conflict on the ground,” said Frances Andrea K. Alonzo, supervising information officer of the Comelec spokesperson’s office.

To secure the region’s 2,393,000 registered voters, a synchronized multi-agency security grid has been activated.

The Philippine National Police deployed over 8,000 personnel from the Police Regional Office-BARMM, tactical units and national support groups alongside five regional joint task forces from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard.

Key measures include an election gun ban enforced through 29 September, 24-hour checkpoints, and naval patrols along porous island channels to dismantle private armed groups and intercept illegal firearms.

As part of the military buildup, the Philippine Army announced Monday that the 1st Brigade Combat Team sent Task Force 92 to Maguindanao following a 5 August send-off ceremony at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.

Brig. Gen. Von Albert M. Sumergido, 1BCT commander, instructed troops to uphold strict non-partisanship, discipline and respect for human rights while performing security and community engagement operations.