The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has placed 27 areas in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) under the “red” category ahead of its first parliamentary elections, citing their history of election-related violence.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia clarified in an interview with DZBB radio that the classification does not mean there are current incidents of unrest.

“Yung 27, dahil lang dun sa may kasaysayan ng mga nakaraang halalan na may nangyaring kaguluhan [pero] hindi pa naman related. Yan po ang minomonitor sa kasalukuyan,” Garcia said.

(The 27 were classified only because of their history of election-related violence in past polls, but they are not connected to any current incidents. Those are what we are monitoring right now.)

He noted that the red category indicates serious threats from armed groups or possible conflicts among local candidates, requiring focused monitoring and security deployment.

The areas under the red category as of July 15 include Al-Barka in Basilan; 21 municipalities in Lanao del Sur such as Bayang, Butig, Marantao, and Taraka; Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte; Pandag, Shariff Aguak, and Shariff Saydona Musthapa in Maguindanao del Sur; and Tugunan in the Special Geographic Areas.

Meanwhile, 27 other areas have been placed under the “orange” category, which signals a possibility of disturbances but no record of violence in past elections.

Garcia said Comelec and security agencies will continue weekly monitoring and reclassification as needed.

Updated Comelec data further show that 39 areas are under the “yellow” category—indicating some cause for caution—and 15 areas are under “green,” considered generally peaceful.

Tawi-Tawi stands out as the most stable province, with all 11 municipalities under the green category and none under red or orange.Garcia emphasized that the classifications are based on historical data, not current unrest, and that security forces are being deployed to ensure peaceful conduct in all identified areas.

“Yan po ang minomonitor sa kasalukuyan (That’s what we're currently monitoring),” he said, reiterating that the red tags are precautionary.

He also reported that preparations for the BARMM elections are nearly complete, with 90 percent readiness achieved. The printing of 2.3 million ballots was expected to finish Sunday, followed by a two-week verification process before distribution.