Politics · Philippines Bureau
Election watchdog flags pre-marked ballots at multiple BARMM polling sites
An election monitoring group has documented pre-shaded ballots in three additional precincts during the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region's first parliamentary elections, indicating ballot irregularities extended beyond the widely reported Maluso incident in Basilan.
LSN Philippines ·
MANILA — Election irregularities during the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary polls were more widespread than initially reported, with pre-marked ballots discovered at multiple voting locations, according to findings released Wednesday by an election watchdog organization.
The group documented pre-shaded ballots across three precincts outside Maluso, Basilan, where over 16,000 ballots were previously flagged as part of a high-profile voting anomaly. The discovery suggests that ballot tampering concerns were not isolated to the single municipality that drew public scrutiny.
The findings raise fresh questions about the integrity of the inaugural parliamentary elections held in the autonomous region. Officials have not yet issued formal statements responding to the watchdog's latest report on the ballot irregularities.
The incident underscores ongoing concerns about electoral administration in BARMM as the region conducts its first democratic exercises under the Bangsamoro framework. Election authorities are expected to address the documented violations as investigations continue.