The long-awaited inaugural parliamentary elections for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have been marred by a deadly shooting in Cotabato City. On the eve of the vote, a dispute over queue positioning at the Datu Usman Mampen Elementary School escalated from a heated argument into a violent confrontation, leaving five people dead and 15 others wounded. Among the fatalities was 88-year-old Edar Kasan, while four others remain unidentified as authorities work to piece together the events. Local police reports indicate that the incident began as a scuffle between rival political groups, which quickly devolved into a chaotic exchange of gunfire in a crowded public space.

Despite heavy security deployments and assurances from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the region is struggling with the pervasive influence of political dynasties and private armies. The atmosphere of fear was further compounded when hundreds of local teachers withdrew from their duties as election clerks, citing safety concerns. While the military and police have flooded the region with personnel, armored vehicles, and checkpoints, observers are raising alarms that such a militarized environment may intimidate voters rather than protect them. This historic transition to a self-governance parliament—replacing the previous regional administration—is now overshadowed by concerns that deep-seated partisanship and violence continue to threaten the democratic process in the southern Philippines.