The 2025 Philippines midterm elections were anticipated as a critical checkpoint in the country’s democratic journey, particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Instead, the polls in BARMM spiralled into one of the bloodiest electoral episodes in the region’s history, marked by systemic violence, voter intimidation, and electoral fraud, The Manila Times reported.

Since the beginning of May, at least 21 people have been killed in BARMM, including five on election day. According to data from Climate Conflict Action Asia (CCAA), election-related violence since October 2024 has left 239 dead and 172 others injured. Observers have labelled this the most violent electoral cycle since the region gained autonomy.

Maguindanao del Sur emerged as the flashpoint, with towns like Buluan and Shariff Aguak witnessing repeated gunfights, grenade attacks, and coercion at polling stations. On May 12, heavily armed groups were apprehended while attempting to disrupt voting, and several incidents of voter suppression and ballot tampering were recorded.

Elsewhere in BARMM—Cotabato City, Basilan, and Lanao del Sur—elections were similarly disrupted. Riots, machine failures, and politically motivated killings created widespread panic. In Special Geographic Areas, technical breakdowns and claims of "flying" voters eroded public confidence.

The violence extended beyond BARMM, with shootings in Negros and Abra, and a fatal stroke reported in Albay. While the Philippine National Police stated that 99% of precincts were operational, the reality in BARMM highlighted the fragility of democratic institutions.

The scale and coordination of the unrest raise difficult questions about state capacity, accountability, and the depth of electoral reform in post-conflict regions like BARMM. Without credible safeguards and swift justice, future elections risk becoming tools for power consolidation rather than democratic expression.