Journalists tackle challenges in covering BARMM polls
Map of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in relation to Mindanao. BARMM comprises the provinces of Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur and Lanao del Sur in the mainland and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi, the cities of Marawi, Lamitan and Cotabato and 63 villages in six North Cotabato towns that voted for inclusion in the BARMM in February 2019. Map courtesy of the BARMM website.
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 16 February) – Journalists from all over Mindanao gathered here last weekend to tackle challenges in covering the first ever elections for posts in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in 2025.
The two-day gathering organized by the Philippine Center Investigative Journalism aimed to prepare the journalists for the BARMM elections that will be simultaneously held with the midterm elections next year.
Almost two million voters will vote for representatives to the region’s 80-member parliament who will in turn vote who will be their chief minister.
MindaNews special reports editor Carolyn Arguillas gave a lecture to the 39 participating journalists on how elections are held in the restive southern Philippines.
The journalists identified media safety, lack of transparency, access to data, religious biases, partisanship and linguistic barriers as issues that could become a problem for their coverage of the BARMM elections. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)
5 rebels surrender in Agusan Norte
CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 16 February) – Five New People’s Army rebels including a platoon leader and three female guerrillas surrendered to Army authorities in Buenavista town in Agusan del Norte last weekend, the military said.
Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Balingao, commander of the 23rd Infantry Battalion said Arnel Bahian, a platoon leader of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee surrendered along with five others including female fighters identified as Analyn Mondas, the group’s political officer, Jaquelyn Egtub and Charlyn Rebita.
“The surrender of Bahian and his group was the result of months of negotiations,” Balingao said.
Bahian and his group handed over to the Army four M16 rifles, an M4A1 rifle and ammunition. (Froilan Gallardo/MindaNews)
