Philippines' south begins voting after three slain amid election violence

Voting began in the Muslim-majority south of the Philippines on Monday under increased security following unrest that killed three and injured 15 on the eve of the historic election.

The election is a key step toward promoting peace and prosperity in an area previously plagued by separatist struggle and extremism, culminating in the 2017 siege of Marawi City by Islamic State-affiliated terrorists.

After an incident at a polling booth resulted in shooting on Sunday, the Commission on Elections took control of Cotabato City, according to local reports.

Despite logistical challenges, elections for party-list representatives, district representatives, and sectoral seats in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have been peaceful, according to Election Commission Chairperson George Erwin Garcia.

Garcia said some voting precincts may be open until 9 p.m. due to delayed opening.

Nearly 2.4 million voters are registered, a critical test for the sustainability of regional autonomy under a 2014 peace deal between Manila and Muslim separatists through elected institutions, according to international allies and peace monitors.

The autonomy award aimed to resolve a conflict that killed over 120,000 people, displaced 2 million, and strengthened extremist groups in the region.

"The election marks a milestone in the continuing journey of BARMM toward lasting peace, democratic governance and meaningful self-determination," President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in a video welcoming voters to a "defining moment" for the region and country.

The election marks the culmination of a change initiated by an agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a prominent Muslim separatist group, and a law that gave the Muslim-majority south more political and economic authority.

The autonomous area, located in the Philippines' second-largest island, Mindanao,governance, and a chain of tiny islands to the west, was previously linked with piracy and banditry.

BARM is the only parliamentary region in the country. Participants in the election include former MILF rebels, post-peace pact groupings, and traditional political clans.

Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, MILF chairman and parliamentary candidate, said the election fulfilled Bangsamoro people's long-held desire to elect their own leaders.

Post-voting, Murad, the region's interim chief minister until 2025, stated that the people had long desired elections to choose their leaders.
The election results are expected by Tuesday.