MANILA (September 12) — About 30,000 police and military personnel have been mobilized to secure Monday’s first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Friday.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said the deployment includes about 9,000 police officers, with nearly 2,000 additional personnel on standby to serve as possible replacements for members of special electoral boards.
The rest of the security contingent comes from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and will serve primarily as quick reaction forces (QRFs).
“Sila po ay confined sa atin pong mga kampo,” Garcia said, referring to the military personnel assigned as QRFs.
The troops will remain in military camps and may be deployed if security conditions require additional forces during the elections.
Garcia said additional police and military personnel have also been placed on standby in Regions 9, 10, 11 and 12 to provide reinforcement if needed.
The Comelec has also secured air assets from the Philippine National Police and AFP for the possible rapid deployment of additional troops during the elections.
The massive security mobilization comes as the BARMM prepares for its first parliamentary elections, a major milestone in the region’s transition to a parliamentary form of government under the Bangsamoro peace process.
The Sept. 14 polls will determine the members of the Bangsamoro Parliament, which will exercise legislative and other powers within the autonomous region.
The scale of the security operation reflects the challenges of conducting elections across a region that includes areas with a history of armed conflict and security threats.
With additional forces positioned outside the BARMM and air assets on standby, authorities are maintaining a broader security response capability as voters head to the polls Monday.
