COTABATO CITY — Voting was temporarily suspended at the Cotabato City Central Pilot Elementary School after a shooting incident broke out shortly after polls opened for senior citizens and persons with disabilities at around 6 a.m.
Four people, including a police officer and several watchers of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), were reportedly injured in the shooting.
The incident happened while voting was ongoing after an argument reportedly broke out between watchers of the rival UBJP and Bangsamoro Federalist Party. The heated exchange later led to gunfire.
Voters, Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs), and political party watchers were evacuated from the polling area as authorities temporarily closed the precincts.
PNP Police Regional Office in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-BARMM) Director Brig. Gen. Christopher Abecia immediately went to the area to assess the situation and help calm supporters of the political parties.
Abecia confirmed that Cotabato City is under Comelec control and that police personnel will serve as BEIs. Additional special police BEIs from the Davao Region were also deployed.
More than 200 police personnel from Davao had been deployed to Cotabato City since the evening of September 13, ahead of the BARMM elections.
International election observers who were in the area were also pulled out following the incident.
After several hours, voting precincts at the Central Pilot School were reopened and voters were allowed to return.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia personally visited the polling precincts to check the situation and the condition of voters.
Garcia said the Comelec would ensure that the election in the area would proceed properly. He also said voting hours may be extended, if necessary, to make up for the time lost due to the suspension and ensure that all voters are given the opportunity to cast their ballots.
Meanwhile, four people were reported killed in two separate incidents of violence near voting centers in Cotabato City.
The fatalities were identified as Caril Abdul Lumidsog, 43; Bain Abdul Lumidsog, 48; and 88-year-old Idar Kasan Andog.
Nine others were injured after two groups of alleged supporters of political parties exchanged gunfire outside the Datu Usman Mampen Elementary School in Barangay Bagua 2.
The fourth fatality was identified as Zainodin Macabuat, who was injured in an improvised explosive device blast in Barangay Kalanganan Mother. Macabuat was brought to a hospital on September 13 but later died.
(Odessa Cruz/Pahayagan BARMM)