COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 24 June) — Visibility and quick response will be the focus of the police as part of their preparation for the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections in October this year.

Brig. Gen. Jaysen de Guzman, in a press briefing on Sunday after his assumption as the new regional director of Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, said they will review the region’s crime data to understand past incidents and implement preventive measures.

“We will try to check why it happened, what are the measures we can adapt to prevent recurrence. We will review what happened, why it led to shootings, why many were killed, many were injured,” he said.

In its post-midterm election report, independent watchdog Climate Conflict Action Asia (CCAA) said politics in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has remained a deadly narrative of violence.

At least 244 people were killed in the region, 103 of them in incidents tied to the elections, and another 265 were injured during the seven-month election period, according to data released by the group on June 17.

Between October 2024, when candidates filed their certificates of candidacy, and the May elections, 759 cases of violence were recorded in the predominantly Muslim region. Of these, 327 were directly linked to the elections, according to CCAA.

Compared to the previous election, the midterm polls were worse in the BARMM. The 2023 barangay elections saw 438 incidents over four months, resulting in 165 deaths and 138 injuries. The 2025 violence stretched over seven months, with higher casualties and a deeper undercurrent of fear, the group said.

“The mid-term election surpassed the deadly outcomes of the 2023 barangay elections,” CCAA said.

It said familiar incidents like clan feuds, political rivalries, and localized violence between armed groups were compounded by intermittent clashes between government forces and armed groups identified with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, and Dawlah Islamiya.

The data pointed to an escalation in violence and showed the continued failure to contain recurring election-related unrest in a region long gripped by conflict.

As the region looks ahead to the October 13 parliamentary elections, CCAA called for urgent reforms, the full implementation of the MILF decommissioning process, strict enforcement of the gun ban, stronger early warning and mediation systems, and expanded protection for vulnerable sectors, particularly indigenous communities.

The CCAA said that without institutional and policy changes the region risks repeating the same violent patterns. 

The promise of stable and inclusive self-governance in the Bangsamoro, it warned, cannot be fulfilled if elections remain a battleground.

De Guzman, in response to this report, expressed confidence he can build on the successful templates of previous elections, which saw no “failure of election,” a standard he aims to uphold.

“We expect the same, for the parliamentary election here in BARMM to be successful,” he said.

He added that  preparation will involve assessing the personnel strength of each police station and identifying “friendly forces” who can complement their efforts, particularly in areas with known armed groups or ongoing conflicts. 

He said he is committed to promoting peace and resolving disputes, even seeking the help of elders to mediate “rido” (clan feuds) in the past.

“I believe everything can be discussed. Let’s not resort to violence, to arms; let’s talk about it,” he urged. 

“And the elders are there whom we can ask for help… And when it comes to the election, let the people decide. What the people want, that should be followed; we will respect that,” De Guzman said.

The police official said he  will work in close coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to bolster security operations, particularly in areas identified with higher security risks or the presence of armed groups.

Sunday’s turnover was attended by his counterpart in the Joint Task Force Central commander Maj. Gen. Donald Gumiran, BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, incoming Maguindanao del Norte Governor Tucao Mastura, other local government officials and partners in the security sector. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera / MindaNews)