DESPITE the generally successful conduct of the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections, Bangsamoro Parliament member Mohagher M. Iqbal called for a thorough and impartial investigation into election-related violence that left four people dead and 19 others wounded, saying the incidents should not be allowed to go without accountability.
Iqbal, a member of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), made the appeal after the September 14 elections, which marked the first time voters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) elected a regular regional Parliament.
“We cannot allow the violence that accompanied this historic exercise to simply pass without accountability,” Iqbal said in a statement.
He said the UBJP was mourning the deaths of three of its volunteers and was concerned about approximately 20 others who were wounded during the campaign and election period.
“We call upon the National Government and the appropriate law enforcement and justice institutions to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation and ensure that justice is served,” Iqbal said.
“Elections must never become an excuse for violence, intimidation, or the loss of life,” he added.
The UBJP separately asked the National Bureau of Investigation to look into the incidents surrounding the elections. The Commission on Elections reported four deaths and 19 injuries from election-related incidents, while the Philippine National Police recorded 14 violent incidents connected to the polls.
Three people were killed and 15 wounded in a shooting involving supporters of rival political groups at Datu Usman Mampen Elementary School in Cotabato City. Another person was killed and three others, including a police officer, were wounded in violence at Pilot Central Elementary School. The PNP said investigations were underway to establish the circumstances and identify those responsible.
Despite the violence, the elections proceeded across the region, with Comelec reporting 2,018,478 voters casting their ballots out of 2,393,202 registered voters. The resulting 84.34 percent turnout was described by Comelec as the highest recorded in an election in the country.
Iqbal thanked voters, election officials and security personnel who worked during the polls, saying Bangsamoro voters were generally able to exercise their right to vote peacefully despite isolated incidents.
He said the UBJP's 30 seats in the 80-member Parliament carried a significant responsibility, with the party accepting the mandate while renewing its commitment to peace, justice, self-governance and development.
“The support we received, which led to the election of 30 UBJP members to the 80-seat Bangsamoro Parliament, comes with a tremendous responsibility,” Iqbal said.
The final results produced no single-party majority in the 80-member chamber. The Bangsamoro Federalist Party secured 31 seats, followed by the UBJP with 30, leaving both short of the 41 seats required for a majority.
With the election concluded, Iqbal urged political groups to respect the institutions established under the Bangsamoro Organic Law and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro as the region moves toward its first regularly elected government.
He said the incoming lawmakers should be allowed to independently exercise their mandate in choosing the Speaker, chief minister and other parliamentary officers through established rules and procedures.
“The first parliamentary elections represent another important milestone in our long journey toward genuine self-governance,” Iqbal said.
The 80 newly elected lawmakers are scheduled to assume office on October 30 and will elect the region's chief minister from among themselves. The Parliament consists of 40 regional party representatives, 32 district representatives and eight sectoral representatives.
Iqbal urged the new lawmakers, regardless of political affiliation, to work together to preserve the gains of the peace process and build what he described as a peaceful, democratic, inclusive and progressive Bangsamoro.
“The elections may be over, but our greater responsibility has only begun,” he said. DEF
