Comelec: 84.34% voter turnout in first BARMM parliamentary polls

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The first parliamentary election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) recorded an 84.34% voter turnout, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) reported Wednesday.

The poll body said the turnout was higher than its projected 80%.

Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia on Tuesday underscored the region's resolve to cast their ballots, noting that voter turnout had already reached 80% at the time.

"We're happy with the more or less 80% voter turnout in the BARMM parliamentary elections," Garcia told Super Radyo dzBB.

"Despite some incidents of violence and shootings, our fellow Bangsamoro remained steadfast and still went to the polling precincts to vote," he added.

Meanwhile, Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said the first BARMM parliamentary election was generally peaceful, describing the incidents of violence as isolated cases.

"(The Comelec, Philippine National Police, as well as the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and its National Board of Governors, shared the assessment that the BARMM polls were generally peaceful," Laudiangco told Super Radyo dzBB.

"There were incidents of violence, threats and disorder, but notwithstanding these, they were isolated incidents," he added.

The Bangsamoro Federal Party (BFP) secured 16 seats while the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) won 15 seats in the historic BARMM parliamentary elections.

The BARMM Grand Coalition won eight seats, while the Raayat Democratic Party secured one seat, according to the Comelec's canvass report for the Regional Parliamentary Political Party.

The BARMM Parliament has 80 seats: 40 allocated to party representatives, 32 to district representatives and eight to sectoral representatives.— MCG, GMA News