BARMM parliamentary elections launch amid security concerns

Candidates for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) signed peace covenants and began a campaign period on Tuesday, pledging honesty, accountability and non‑violence ahead of the historic parliamentary elections scheduled for 14 September. A gun ban is in effect across BARMM for the election period, which runs until 29 September, and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has deployed personnel to more than 1,000 clusters covering roughly 4,000 precincts and 2.3 million voters.

Security officials from the Army’s Sixth Infantry Division have identified about 20 municipalities as “red areas” with a history of election‑related violence, and have warned of the presence of two terrorist groups in Maguindanao del Sur. Red, yellow and green zones have been mapped, and specific security plans are in place to protect the vote, which will be the first parliamentary poll in BARMM since its creation in 2019.