BARMM polls: Federalist party gets big bloc slot

MANILA, Philippines — The Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP) ranked first in the Sept. 14 elections for bloc nominations to the 80-seat parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), based on initial tallies released by the Commission on Elections yesterday.

Comelec officials said the BFP led the regional parliamentary political party vote with 181,246 votes, followed by the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front with 135,932 and the BARMM Government Coalition (BGC) with 102,891.

BFP is headed by BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, who was also elected as representative of a district covering parts of Cotabato City and several barangays in nearby towns in Maguindanao del Norte province.

Up to 14 BFP candidates for parliamentary seats in the 32 districts defeated rivals from other parties during Monday’s first Bangsamoro parliamentary electoral exercise.

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) received the first electronic transmission of votes from BARMM at 7:08 p.m. Monday.

Its analytics showed that Tawi-Tawi, which had a smaller number of voters, posted the highest vote completion rate at 41 percent as of 7:20 p.m.

It was followed by Maguindanao del Sur with 30.51 percent, Maguindanao del Norte with 26.67 percent, Basilan with 24.53 percent, the Special Geographic Area with 19.85 percent and Lanao del Sur with 14.97 percent.

Meanwhile, PPCRV data showed Marjanie Macasalong leading the parliamentary sectoral representative race for traditional leaders with 335,443 votes, followed by Sultan Pax Mangundadatu with 240,452 and Panga Ibay with 129,745.

For the Ulama sector, Muhammad Nadzir Ebil led with 330,011 votes, followed by Alibasher Abdullatif with 283,382 and Marhan Borhan with 216,200.

As of yesterday morning, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said 1,168 of the 1,186 polling centers, or 98.48 percent, had completed voting.

“We are keeping our personnel engaged and our lines of coordination open until the remaining election activities are completed,” he said. “The voting may be winding down, but our responsibility does not end there.”

More than 10,439 police personnel were deployed in BARMM, including 5,045 who secured voting centers across the region.

‘Very successful’

Despite cases of violence during the election, Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento described the first parliamentary elections in the BARMM as “very successful.”

“It was relatively very successful,” Sarmiento told The STAR in a phone interview Monday.

Sarmiento said the Sept. 14 elections compared favorably with previous elections held in areas that formerly comprised the ARMM, noting that the death toll was definitely lower.

He also stressed that voting was orderly in most areas of BARMM.

“Last night, when the results were out, we learned that calm and silence descended all over the region,” Sarmiento said. “That means the electorate accepted the results.”

He said BARMM old-timers told him there would have been trouble, if not violence, if voters were dissatisfied with or rejected the election results.

Sarmiento also congratulated the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the PNP for their crisis management and quick response to isolated cases of violence.

“I salute them for a job well done,” Sarmiento said.

At least three people were killed and 20 others, including three police officers, were wounded in shootings and other forms of violence in the region during the elections.

Four people were reported killed and 19 others injured in election-related incidents in Cotabato City, although police described the incidents as isolated.

There were 14 incidents recorded on election day, including two shootings, an explosion, commotions, firefights and a strafing incident. — Evelyn Macairan, Rainier Allan Ronda, Emmanuel Tupas, Alexis Romero, Roel Pareno, Christine Boton