3 shot dead, 15 wounded ahead of polls in Philippine Muslim enclave

Three individuals were killed and fifteen wounded in a shooting that occurred just before polling stations opened in a remote Muslim region of the Philippines, as voters prepared to cast their ballots in the nation's inaugural parliamentary election. The violence erupted outside a school-turned-polling site in Cotabato, a city in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

According to Cotabato police chief Jibin Bongcayao, the incident began as a dispute over voting order between two rival factions, escalating from shoving and a fistfight to gunfire in a crowded area. The combatants were members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a group that has pursued regional autonomy for decades within the predominantly Catholic nation.

Despite the high tension and recent incidents of violence, election officials expressed optimism, as a peaceful election would mark a significant milestone for the region. Security forces have been bolstered across BARMM, with over 20,000 personnel deployed to polling locations, ready to counter any potential unrest. However, the region's history is marred by political turmoil and family-based feuds, with a recent ambush of a region's interim chief minister's motorcade and an explosion near another polling station posing additional security concerns. The investigation into the explosion remains ongoing.