Cotabato City, May 13, 2025 — The Council for Climate and Conflict Action (CCAA), through its BOTO Bangsamoro monitoring initiative, declared the 2025 National and Local Elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as the most violent in recent memory, documenting at least 34 incidents of violence, irregularities, and disorder from May 10 to 13.
Breakdown of Incidents by Category:
- Gun-related violence:
- 6 incidents involving armed clashes or gunshots (Bayang, South Upi, Pandag, Datu Paglas, Sitio Guila-Guila, Sagonsongan)
- 2 fatalities (Bayang)
- At least 2 warning shot incidents by military/police forces
- Arrested armed individuals/flying voters:
- 21 individuals arrested in Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur carrying grenades, firearms, and wooden clubs
- 15 suspected flying voters from General Santos City apprehended
- Poll-related riots or physical confrontations:
- 6 riots/commotions recorded (Cotabato City, Marawi, Guindulungan, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Nabalawag, Sagonsongan)
- 1 stone-throwing incident resulting in injury (Shariff Saydona Mustapha)
- Voter intimidation and obstruction:
- 2 reports of voters being blocked from precincts (Ampatuan, Pandag)
- 1 report of an official tearing ballot boxes (Cotabato City)
- 1 mayoral candidate caused tension by inspecting poll watchers (Guindulungan)
- Technical and logistical issues:
- 6 ACM malfunctions reported (Datu Blah Sinsuat, SGA – Macabual and Old Kaabakan)
- Delayed or extended voting in at least 4 locations (Datu Odin Sinsuat, Butig, Brgy. Dilibayan, Brgy. Sandab)
- Explosions:
- 1 explosion heard in Tugunan on May 12 at 9:30 PM
- Indigenous Peoples (IP) intimidation:
- Threats reported in 3 barangays (Biarong, Itaw, and San Jose) after NMIP mayoral proclamation in South Upi
These incidents were concentrated in Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, and Cotabato City, with South Upi and Marawi City emerging as flashpoints of political tension and post-election threats.
The CCAA noted that the scale and severity of election violence surpassed the previous electoral cycle, highlighting the urgent need for political reform, voter protection, and stronger governance in the Bangsamoro region.
Bangsamoro’s Bloody Ballots: Democracy Held Hostage by Guns and Graft
The May 2025 elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, rather than showcasing democratic maturity, have exposed a political culture deeply embedded in violence and intimidation. The Council for Climate and Conflict Action (CCAA) documented over 30 violent or irregular incidents — an alarming escalation that confirms the group’s assessment that this year’s elections are the most violent since the establishment of BARMM.
The figures speak volumes: gunfights in at least six towns, two election-related deaths, over 30 arrests for weapons and voter fraud, multiple precinct-level riots, and even bomb threats. Voters were beaten by mobs, ballot boxes were torn apart, and entire communities like the NMIPs in South Upi were left vulnerable to threats after exercising their democratic rights.
This is not just electoral violence — this is systemic failure.
The violence shows that democracy in the Bangsamoro region, while constitutionally functional, remains captive to clan politics, private armies, and a culture of impunity. In Municipalities like South Upi and Buluan, political participation comes with the risk of physical harm or disenfranchisement. It is no surprise that some question whether democracy has truly taken root here.
But labeling the region “immature” risks placing blame on communities rather than the structures that fail to protect them. The real issue is not the will of the people, but the lack of institutional safeguards, consistent law enforcement, and post-conflict political transformation.
The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) must take the lead in disarming private armed groups, reforming local governance systems, and coordinating with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to secure future elections. Transparent investigations and prosecution of electoral crimes must follow — not be swept aside after winners are proclaimed.
Likewise, the national government cannot treat this as a regional anomaly. The persistence of electoral violence in BARMM is a national security, human rights, and democratic governance issue.
If this trajectory is not corrected, elections in Bangsamoro will remain a battleground instead of a ballot ground, and the promise of autonomy will be reduced to a mere illusion.