The New Indian Express ·
A Muslim region in the southern Philippines votes in first elections
MANILA: A predominantly Muslim region in the southern Philippines held its first parliamentary elections on Monday, seen as a crucial step in the long quest for self-rule after decades of insurgency and violence.
A shooting in Cotabato killed three people and injured 15 late Sunday, prompting the Commission on Elections to temporarily take over the administration of the city. Police were investigating. Another person was killed Monday in a commotion that broke out in a Cotabato polling center. Still, officials said the elections were generally peaceful.
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was set up under a 2014 peace deal that saw the largest Muslim rebel group give up the goal of a separate Muslim state in the south of the largely Roman Catholic country in exchange for broader autonomy. The group's 40,000 fighters promised to demobilize and join civilian life.