Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced on Wednesday that 12 municipalities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) have been placed under the "red category" of areas of concern.

According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia revealed in an interview that the red category currently includes the municipality of Al Barka in Basilan and six municipalities in Lanao del Sur. Additionally, five municipalities in Maguindanao del Sur have been identified under this category. The "red" category signifies the highest level of concern in the four-tier system for areas of concern.

Despite the classification, Garcia emphasized that there is no immediate cause for alarm regarding the security situation in the region. He stated, "In fact, so far, the peace and order situation in the Bangsamoro is generally peaceful to this day." Furthermore, he noted that there has been no determination of any area requiring Comelec control due to incidents of violence.

The announcement comes a little over a month before the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections, scheduled for October 13.