BARMM Votes in Historic First Parliament Amid Pre-Election Violence
BARMM voters in the southern Philippines are casting ballots in their first parliamentary election since 2019, a milestone toward greater autonomy under a 2014 peace deal with the MILF, with about 2.4 million eligible voters for 80 seats. The vote is marred by violence the day before polling, including a shooting in Cotabato City and a bomb blast in Basilan that delayed voting and prompted ballot reprinting. The parliament will elect the regional chief minister in its first session.