The Philippine National Police (PNP) is investigating seven incidents being treated as suspected election-related incidents (ERIs) during the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), with three people killed and 15 others injured, an official said Monday.
PNP information chief Col. Allen Rae Co said the incidents included three shootings, three explosions and the recovery of an improvised explosive device (IED) in Basilan.
During a press briefing at Camp Crame, Co said the shootings were reported in Basilan, Cotabato and Maguindanao del Sur, while the three explosions occurred in Cotabato. An IED was also recovered in Basilan.
“In the shooting incident, unfortunately, three [are] deceased as of now and 15 are injured in the shooting incident in front of one of the elementary schools there in Cotabato,” Co told reporters.
Co said the PNP is treating the incidents as suspected ERIs because they occurred on the eve of or during the elections for seats in the Bangsamoro Parliament.
Authorities are still determining the circumstances and motives behind the incidents, he added.
“We are still trying to find out. We are still investigating,” Co said, noting that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) initially assessed that the three shooting incidents may have been intended to disrupt the electoral process.
Despite the incidents, Co said the security situation in BARMM remained under control and voting was generally peaceful in most areas.
Co said monitoring showed an overall 97.38 percent voting status across tracked areas as of Monday.
Voting started as scheduled in most monitored locations in Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte and the Special Geographic Area.
Four areas — Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi and the Special Geographic Area — recorded a 100 percent start status, he said. (PNA)