Voters in the predominantly Muslim Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in the southern Philippines held their first-ever parliamentary elections on Monday. The vote marks a crucial step toward self-rule after decades of insurgency and violence, following several years of delays.
The elections occur more than a decade after a peace deal with separatists ended four decades of conflict. For former rebels who spent decades fighting the Philippine state, the establishment of the new parliament represents a shift from armed struggle to policymaking.
However, the process was marred by deadly violence. Officials stated that a shootout killed three people one day before the polls opened in the region, an area long known for violent separatists.