Candidates from parties associated with a former rebel group appeared to be leading the first elections in a predominately Muslim region in the southern Philippines, official results showed Wednesday.
The election was a significant step forward for self-rule in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which was rocked by deadly uprisings for decades until a 2014 peace deal in which Muslim rebels agreed to lay down their arms in exchange for a promise of autonomy.
