Philippines BARMM Election: 3 Killed, 15 Injured In Pre-Poll Shooting At Cotabato Polling Centre

September 14, 2026

Manila: Three people were killed and 15 others injured after a shooting erupted outside a polling center in Cotabato City in the southern Philippines, just hours before voting began for the first parliamentary election of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The shooting took place shortly before midnight on Sunday at Datu Usman Mampen Elementary School in Barangay Bagua 2, Cotabato City, Maguindanao del Norte province.

According to local police, the incident began after rival political groups clashed over their positions in the queue ahead of voting. What started as a dispute reportedly escalated into shoving and fistfights before gunfire broke out in the crowded area.

The incident occurred as voters prepared to participate in Monday’s historic BARMM parliamentary election.

Tight Security Across Bangsamoro Region

Nearly 2.4 million registered voters are participating in the election to choose an 80-member regional parliament.

Security has been significantly strengthened across BARMM, with more than 20,000 security personnel deployed at polling locations and rapid-response teams positioned to respond to possible incidents of violence.

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has also placed Cotabato City under its control following the shooting and other election-related concerns.

Despite the violence, authorities said voting across the wider region was generally orderly, although some polling locations experienced disruptions and delays.

Historic First Parliamentary Election

Monday’s election marks the first regular parliamentary election for BARMM and is being viewed as a major test of the region’s transition from decades of armed conflict to democratic self-government.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was established as part of a peace process between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The 2014 peace agreement paved the way for greater autonomy for the predominantly Muslim region.

The election is intended to replace the interim regional parliament with an elected 80-member legislature. Members of the new parliament will subsequently choose the region’s chief minister.

Election Seen As Test Of Peace Process

The vote is considered an important milestone in efforts to consolidate peace and democratic governance in a region that has experienced decades of insurgency, clan conflict and political violence.

The conflict that preceded the autonomy arrangement resulted in more than 120,000 deaths and displaced millions of people, according to figures cited in reports on the peace process.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. described the election as a milestone in BARMM’s journey towards lasting peace, democratic governance and self-determination, and urged voters to participate in the historic exercise.

The shooting in Cotabato City has nevertheless underscored continuing security challenges in the region as voters participate in its first parliamentary election.