President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. voiced deep concern over fatalities connected to the inaugural Bangsamoro parliamentary elections, challenging security assessments that classified the historic September 14 vote as a success.
During a Malacañang press briefing on Tuesday, September 15, Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro emphasized that the Chief Executive takes no satisfaction in an election marred by casualties.
”Kahit isang tao lang po ang nasaktan hindi po ikasasaya ng Pangulo,” Castro said.
Palace officials noted that any level of bloodshed undermines the democratic process, regardless of how official agencies categorize the overall environment.
”Kahit sabihin po natin generally peaceful and orderly iyong nangyaring eleksyon kahapon basta po mayroong kahit isa na nasaktan hindi po magiging maganda ang pakiramdam ninuman lalung-lalo na ng Pangulo,” Castro stressed.
In response to the casualties and isolated clashes—particularly in Cotabato City—the President ordered law enforcement agencies to maintain high alert across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to prevent further violence.
Despite the loss of life, Malacañang aligned with the Philippine National Police (PNP) assessment that the overall process ran smoothly across most areas.
”Although hindi nanaisin ng Pangulo at ng administrasyon na ito na mayroon pong nangyayaring karahasan at ito naman po ang ipinag-uutos ng Pangulo na bantayan mabuti, protektahan ang ating mga kababayan sa mga ganitong klaseng insidente but nag-report na po ang PNP, according to PNP, generally peaceful and orderly po iyong naganap na eleksiyon,” Castro said.
”So, sa pananaw po ng administrasyon ay naging maganda naman po ang naging eleksiyon kahapon sa BARMM,” Castro added.
The PNP highlighted strong democratic engagement, recording an initial voter turnout of 82.41%—a 4.79 percentage point increase from the 77.62% recorded in the region during the May 2025 national and local elections.
”Initial reports show a high voter turnout of 82.41% which may still increase as the remaining voting centers complete the voting process. This is 4.79% higher than the 77.62% voter turnout recorded in BARMM during May 2025 National and Local Elections,” Castro stated, quoting police reports.
Police authorities confirmed that all electoral equipment and materials have been safely retrieved without further major incidents reported.