COTABATO CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday facilitated the local absentee voting (LAV) of soldiers of the 6th Infantry Division inside Camp Siongco, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao for the May 13 mid-term elections.
A total of 539 out of the 1,065 6th ID soldiers who applied for absentee voting participated in the LAV exercise on Monday. The three-day absentee voting officially opened on Monday and will last until Wednesday to accommodate all soldiers who applied for LAV.
Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, 6th Infantry Division commander, said the voting will be held in different areas authorized by the poll body.
Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines are authorized by the Comelec to perform the local absentee voting as most of them would be deployed for election-related duties and are assigned in areas where they are not registered to vote.
“I encourage all the 6th ID personnel who had applied for LAV to exercise their right to suffrage as this is one of their duties for the country,” Sobejana said.
Sobejana also reminded every soldier under the 6th ID to exercise neutrality at all times during the election period. He reminded every trooper that they are prohibited from engaging in partisan politics. -PNA
