A total of 19 individuals have been arrested in connection with the ongoing preparations for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections, with most of those apprehended identified as civilians for alleged violations of the election gun ban.
Based on the latest Commission on Elections (COMELEC) monitoring report covering July 16 to August 21, 2026, authorities recorded 15 gun ban violations across the region. Two individuals were arrested at COMELEC checkpoints, according to the report.
Authorities also confiscated 21 firearms in connection with the reported gun ban violations, consisting of 12 small arms and nine light weapons. Six explosives and other ordnance were likewise confiscated, along with 111 rounds of ammunition.
The report showed that the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have intensified security and law enforcement operations across BARMM as the region prepares for its parliamentary elections.
As of August 21, security forces had conducted a total of 23,912 COMELEC checkpoints throughout the region. These included 6,457 spot and mobile checkpoints, 1,944 border-control operations, 4,197 joint PNP-AFP checkpoints, and 11,314 strategic checkpoints.
The monitoring report also recorded 13 firearms abandoned, surrendered, or deposited, while 175 firearms were surrendered and two were deposited as part of firearms accountability efforts.
Meanwhile, authorities reported one search-warrant operation that resulted in one arrest and the confiscation of two firearms.
On election-related incidents (ERIs), the COMELEC monitoring report recorded one suspected violent ERI during the reporting period. However, no ERI has yet been validated by authorities.
The lone suspected ERI was classified as violent, while no suspected non-violent ERI was recorded. The report also showed zero validated violent and non-violent ERIs as of August 21.
The latest figures underscore the continued security and law enforcement efforts of authorities to prevent violence, illegal firearms possession, and other election-related violations ahead of the BARMM Parliamentary Elections.
