The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has condemned the killing of two barangay chairmen in separate shooting incidents in Maguindanao del Sur and Sultan Kudarat.

In a statement, CHR said it has deployed a Quick Response Operation (QRO) team to determine whether the separate attacks were politically motivated.

“It is important to note that these incidents occurred before the supposed plebiscite on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliament Bill 223 to be conducted on 07 September 2024, but was halted by the Supreme Court following a decision published on 21 August 2024,” CHR said.

Barangay Bulibod, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte Chairman Esmael Latip Mustapha and his wife, Rahiman Maulana, barangay secretary, were killed in an ambush while they were on their way home on August 18, 2024.

The following day, Barangay Laguilayan, Isulan, Sultan Kudarat Chairman Amado Serra Jr. was shot dead inside his car.

“We reiterate that protecting the sanctity of the Filipino people’s vote also entails ensuring the protection of local officials duly elected by their constituents,” CHR added.

The commission said the safety and welfare of the voters in the plebiscite and the upcoming 2025 midterm elections may be compromised if these killings will not be resolved.

CHR has acknowledged the actions of the local police to identify the perpetrators and called for a thorough and impartial investigation into the two incidents.

“It is important that in a democratic country, we take all the necessary measures to ensure that the credibility of our electoral processes remain unperturbed before, during, and after the actual polls. We remain firm that continued occurrences of violence against officials impacts the safe environment of our localities, thereby affecting the decision of voters in the next elections,” CHR said.