Three dead, 15 hurt in Cotabato midnight shootout on eve of BARMM elections

Violence marred the eve of the historic Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections after a fatal midnight shootout outside a local voting center left three people dead and 15 others injured.  

The shooting occurred at around 11:40 p.m. on Sunday outside Datu Usman Mampen Elementary School in Barangay Bagua 2. 

According to Capt. Steffi Salanguit, spokesperson for Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), the violence erupted after an altercation broke out between rival political supporters who had gathered near the polling site.  

Among the fatalities was 88-year-old Edar Kasan Andog, a resident of Purok Tulingan in Barangay Bagua 2. 

Authorities have not yet publicly identified the remaining two deceased victims or the 15 wounded individuals, all of whom were rushed to nearby medical facilities for urgent treatment.  

Investigators from the Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO) team recovered spent shells from .45-caliber and 9mm handguns at the scene. 

Joint forces from the Cotabato City Police, PRO-BAR Regional Mobile Force Battalion 14, Marine Battalion Landing Team 6, and the Philippine National Police 4th Special Action Battalion were immediately deployed to secure the area.  

The deadly midnight confrontation capped a series of violent disruptions across Cotabato City leading up to election day:

5:00 p.m. (Sunday): A strafing incident was reported in Barangay Rosary Heights 10. No casualties were reported.  

8:00 p.m. (Sunday): An explosive device prematurely detonated near a school in Barangay Mother Kalanganan. Police identified the suspect carrying the device as Zainudin Macabuat, who was critically injured in the blast.  

9:00 p.m. (Sunday): A second blast rocked Barangay Rosary Heights 10 after an explosive went off inside a trash receptacle. No injuries were recorded.  

Following the wave of election-eve violence, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) officially placed Cotabato City under its direct control to ensure public safety and oversight during the region's first-ever parliamentary polls.  

Police and military units remain on high alert throughout the city as voting proceeds. Investigations are ongoing to establish the political motives behind the Bagua 2 shootout and identify the gunmen involved. 

-Paraluman News and Philippine News Agency