Polling stations opened today in Bangsamoro, the autonomous Muslim-majority region in the Philippines, to elect the local parliament for the first time. This vote is considered historic for the region.
The deadly shooting occurred just a few hours before the opening of the polling stations. Three people died in the incident, which involved rival factions of a rebel group.
Bangsamoro is a region that gained greater autonomy through a peace agreement with the central government, and the creation of the new local parliament represents a significant step in the implementation of that agreement.
The authorities did not reveal the identity of the victims or which rebel group was involved in the shooting, which happened at a particularly sensitive time for the region.
