Philippines' Bangsamoro region awaits 1st elected government as vote count proceeds

The southern Philippines’ majority-Muslim Bangsamoro Autonomous Region is awaiting its first-ever elected government as vote counting is underway after polls closed in the region's maiden elections on Monday.

According to local media, unofficial results have started pouring in as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) expects the proclamation of winners in Bangsamoro to go according to schedule despite violence and delayed voting in some places, local outlet GMA News reported.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia told reporters that some winners could be proclaimed Monday night, with other proclamations possible early Tuesday as election results are transmitted and canvassed.

Garcia said results from precincts would be electronically transmitted before the formal canvassing at the municipal, provincial, and regional levels.

He said the commission website would make precinct-level results available in real time.

According to unofficial results, the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP) is leading with 614,672 votes, followed by the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) with 571,703 and the BARMM Grand Coalition (BGC) with 366,073 votes.

A party must get at least 2.5% of total votes to enter parliament.

The parliamentarians are set to elect the region's chief minister next month.

"Tonight there will be a strong indication who wins in the party setup. However, they need to elect the chief minister by the end of October," Georgi Engelbrecht of the International Crisis Group think tank told Anadolu.

Some 700 candidates from 13 regional political parties are vying for 80 seats in the regional parliament.