MILITARY troops under the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) had been ordered to ensure the safe and peaceful conduct of the May 13, 2019 mid-term polls in their respective areas of jurisdictions.

Lieutenant General Arnel Dela Vega, Westmincom chief, issued the order during his recent visits to the troops as he reminded them to remain apolitical.

Dela Vega on Friday visited the Joint Task Force Sulu, which is under the operational control of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division.

He visited earlier the Army’s 6th and 1st Infantry Division headquarters in Maguindanao and Zamboanga del Sur, respectively. The two divisions have jurisdiction over Western and Central Mindanao regions.

Dela Vega has ordered his field commanders to prepare contingency plans to promptly address any situation that may arise on the day of the election.

“We must ensure that there will be no failure of elections in any polling centers; otherwise, it will reflect on us that we are incapable of ensuring the conduct of an orderly, peaceful, and credible election,” Dela Vega told his field commanders.

He also reminded the ground commanders to maximize and allow the troops to exercise their right of suffrage through absentee voting although they must remain non-partisans.

“We are bound and committed to be non-partisans. The only activity where we can manifest our partisan duties, on our own volition, is when we cast our votes,” he said. (SunStar Philippines)