AROUND 400 soldiers from the 28th Infantry Battalion of the 10th Infantry Division (10ID) will be deployed to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) to reinforce security for the region's historic first regular parliamentary elections scheduled in September.
The deployment was announced by 10ID Public Affairs Office chief Major Ruben Gadut during the Davao Peace and Security Press Corps media forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Thursday, July 23. He said the battalion has successfully completed the Philippine Army's Comprehensive Battalion Evaluation and Certification (CBEC), signifying that the unit is fully mission-ready for election security operations.
According to Gadut, the certification is part of the Army's continuing modernization and capability enhancement program, which retrains entire battalions in combined arms operations and territorial defense. The program prepares troops for a wider range of conventional military and security missions beyond their previous focus on counterinsurgency campaigns against communist insurgents and local terrorist groups.
“The division is very confident they will perform beyond expectations during their deployment in Barmm,” he said.
Aside from combat readiness, Gadut noted that the battalion has also demonstrated its capability in humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations, making it well-equipped to perform various tasks that may arise during the election period.
“This unit has also served in continuing humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations, showing how well-prepared the battalion is,” he added.
For security reasons, Gadut declined to disclose the exact deployment schedule but confirmed that the contingent will consist of three infantry companies, totaling approximately 400 personnel.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) regularly augments election security operations in Barmm due to the region's complex security environment, particularly in areas where armed groups, private armed groups, and election-related violence remain concerns. The military will work alongside the Philippine National Police and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to safeguard voters, polling centers, election workers, and election materials throughout the electoral process.
The Barmm parliamentary elections on September 14, 2026 will mark the first time that residents of the autonomous region will directly elect members of the Bangsamoro Parliament, replacing the appointed Bangsamoro Transition Authority that has governed since 2019. The elections were reset through Republic Act No. 12317, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in March 2026, extending the transition period to allow the completion of key normalization and governance measures under the Bangsamoro peace process.
During the polls, voters will elect 80 members of Parliament — 40 party representatives, 32 parliamentary district representatives, and eight sectoral representatives representing women, youth, traditional leaders, ulama, settler communities, and non-Moro Indigenous Peoples. Once convened, the newly elected Parliament will elect the Chief Minister, who will head the Bangsamoro Government. The first elected officials will assume office on October 30, 2026, while succeeding Barmm parliamentary elections will be synchronized with the national and local elections beginning in May 2031. DEF
