Voting starts in Philippines' in Mindano

Voting began on Monday in the Philippines' Muslim-majority south under heightened security after three people were killed and 15 wounded in violence on the eve of the historic election.



The vote is seen as a crucial test of efforts seeking to bring lasting peace and development to a region once torn by separatist conflict and extremism which peaked in the 2017 siege of Marawi City by Islamic State-linked militants.



The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) placed Cotabato City under its control after the violence on Sunday, when an argument at a polling station erupted in gunfire, according to local reports.



COMELEC said voting was proceeding smoothly across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and that it did not expect broader unrest, citing expanded checkpoints and the swift deployment of security forces.