THE Philippine Army will deploy between 1,000 to 2,000 troops in Negros for the May 13 elections.
Brigadier General Benedict Arevalo said the troop deployment will be from the precinct level for every localities and the convoy for the dispatch of election paraphernalia and the ballot boxes.
"The deployment of troops will be done before the Election Day," Arevalo said.
He said the inventory of troops was done Tuesday, April 23, during the Provincial Joint Security Control Center meeting. The police will also deploy troops for the elections.
Meanwhile, Arevalo condemned the New People's Army (NPA) rebels relative to the killings in Negros.
"We also condemn the NPA for the killings. They have killed 8 already in the province so they should condemn themselves," Arevalo said.
The National Democratic Front, in a press statement, condemned the killing of Patigas.
"Today, the Negrosanons, especially the people of Northern Negros, is grieving the merciless killing of human rights defender and Escalante City incumbent councilor Bernardino 'Toto' Patigas Sr. Patigas was active in supporting the struggles of sugar workers and peasants for wage, benefits and land to till and consistently stood for human rights. He was an Escalante massacre survivor during Marcos' martial law, founding member of the North Negros Alliance of Human Rights Advocates and highly regarded servant of the people for most of his life. And now he is the 70th victim of Duterte's de facto martial law in Negros," the NDF said in a statement
The group related the killing of Patigas to the Oplan Sauron launched in Negros Oriental that resulted in the death of 14 civilians.
"If we recall, last February, HR (human rights) advocates in north Negros exposed a hit list of the military that ushered in the spread of Oplan Sauron in Negros Occidental. These are aftermaths of Duterte's Memorandum Order 32 and Executive Order 70. There is no doubt that the same diabolical minds that created OplanSauron are behind this attack against human rights advocates," the NDF added.