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Saturday, March 17, 2007
Military to be deputized in polls: Comelec chief
By Ulysses E. Israel
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has agreed to the proposed expanded deputization of the military in polling areas that are considered with exceptional cases, a top Comelec official said Friday.
Pinoy Votes: Sun.Star Election 2007 Coverage
Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos said that while the poll body would like to discourage the use of the military in poll areas, it is agreeable to the proposal that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will be deputized to provide security in polling areas with "extreme condition" or "exceptional cases."
Abalos on Friday presided over the election coordinating conference for the two regions of Western Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) in Zamboanga City. He met with the regional heads of the AFP, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Department of Education in the said regions.
The Comelec chief conferred with the heads of the government agencies that will be deputized by the poll body in the coming May elections.
"I would like to discourage the military from being used in poll related activities to avoid partisanship, but in exceptional cases, the support of the military can be tapped upon the recommendation of Comelec officers," Abalos told reporters.
He said the Comelec can deputize the military to provide security for the members of the board of election inspectors (BEI), composed of teachers and other civil service eligible, to ensure their safety. However, the military will not necessarily be staying in poll precincts, he added.
Police Chief Superintendent Joel Rudio Goltiao, regional director of Armm-PNP, who attended the conference, said: "It is very clear from the directive of Comelec chair Abalos that we (police) can tap the support of the military, particularly, in Sulu where the PNP will be recommending that the Marines will be utilized to augment the forces of the police."
Goltiao said the police have identified 29 villages as "immediate areas of concern" and 737 others as "areas of concern" in the Armm. These villages are situated in Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Basilan and Sharif Kabunsulan, he said.
The figures, he added, can still change as hotly contested areas are still evolving.
Comelec Regional Director for Western Mindanao Helen Aguila-Flores earlier proposed the expanded deputization of the military in some areas in the region, saying Mindanao should be considered as an "exceptional case."
Flores said the presence of armed threat groups, like the New People's Army (NPA), the breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) pose serious threats to the lives of the members of the BEI.
Also, she said, previous incidents of election-related violence have to be considered.
The change in the policy of the government under the Arroyo administration to give the military a minor role in the coming May polls came in the wake of allegations that the soldiers were used to cheat in the last presidential elections in 2004.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and AFP chief General Hermogenes Esperon have declared that the military's playing a minor role in elections is seen as a step to allay fears that the military will be used again in poll-related activities for the advantage of certain politicians.
Flores argued that the poll body is obligated to provide protection to teachers serving as election inspectors in carrying out their duties.
She also argued that there are areas in Mindanao where the presence of the police is not adequate and the need for military support is necessary to prevent poll related violence.
She has recommended for the expanded role of the military in polling areas identified as "immediate areas of concern."
Goltiao meanwhile said he will be recommending for the use of the Marines in providing security in some areas in Sulu due to presence of the Abu Sayyaf and other armed threat groups.
"We are also studying other areas that may require augmentation of police forces by the military," he said as he claimed that there are other hotly contested areas in Armm.
But he reiterated that the military will largely play a minor role in the coming elections.
Goltiao explained that the police will be repositioning policemen to areas where they are mostly needed. (Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (March 17, 2007 issue)
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