Nabalawag and Kadayangan Municipalities Remain Calm and Peaceful Ahead of BARMM Election Day
Students from the Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) and Bachelor of Arts in Communication (BACOMM) programs have actively participated as volunteers in the Independent Election Monitoring Center (IEMC) for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and Sulu. This election monitoring initiative is in partnership with the Institute for Autonomy and Governance (IAG).
Several students from both programs volunteered to be part of the IEMC, which will conduct election monitoring over three days: May 11 (Pre-Election), May 12 (Election Day), and May 13 (Post-Election). Today marks the first day of monitoring activities.
The student volunteers have been divided into two groups assigned to different municipalities within the Special Geographic Area (SGA) of BARMM: the Municipality of Kadayangan and the Municipality of Nabalawag. Each municipality comprises seven (7) barangays.
Before proceeding to their respective monitoring sites, the volunteer students made a courtesy visit to the Municipal Mayors of both towns. They then moved to the designated areas to begin observing and assessing the electoral environment.
According to Barangay Officials and some residents, the situation in the barangays remains orderly and peaceful. The local communities expressed hope that the calm atmosphere continues through the election period to ensure a fair and credible process. Similarly, Local Police Authorities confirmed that the situation remains peaceful and under control. They have assured the public that security measures are in place to ensure the safety and integrity of the elections.
As of today, the vote-counting machines (VCMs) have not yet arrived at the polling centers. These are expected to be distributed by 1:00AM tomorrow to the respective schools where the elections will be held.