THE Davao City Police Office will deploy 189 police personnel to the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region to help secure Barmm’s first regular parliamentary elections on Sept. 14.
The deployment comes as authorities step up security preparations for the polls, which will elect members of the Bangsamoro Parliament.
DCPO director Police Col. Peter Bauzon Madria led an equipment inspection Saturday, Sept. 5, for the personnel assigned to the augmentation force at the DCPO Parade Ground inside Camp Capt. Domingo E. Leonor along San Pedro Street.
Madria personally checked the contingent’s tactical gear, personal protective equipment, and other operational equipment to ensure the 189 personnel were properly equipped and ready for their assignment.
The inspection also reinforced the need for discipline, readiness, and nonpartisan professionalism as the personnel assist the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in securing the electoral process.
The DCPO said it will hold a send-off ceremony for the contingent on Sept. 9 before the personnel proceed to Barmm.
The deployment is part of a broader security buildup for Barmm’s first regular parliamentary elections.
In July, Police Regional Office 11 said it would deploy 400 personnel from its headquarters, provincial and city police offices, and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion to Barmm.
The Philippine National Police has also identified 108 areas in Barmm as election areas of concern, prompting authorities to heighten security measures. Lanao del Sur has the most areas classified as red zones, while other areas face varying levels of security risks.
The national government has committed additional security forces for the elections. Earlier reports said nearly 9,000 police personnel would be deployed across Barmm, with augmentation coming from neighboring Mindanao regions and specialized PNP units.
Republic Act 12317 moved the first regular Barmm elections to the second Monday of September 2026, setting the polls for Sept. 14.
The elections will cover the five Barmm provinces — Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur and Tawi-Tawi — as well as the Special Geographic Areas in North Cotabato.
Government reports citing Commission on Elections data put the number of registered voters at 2,395,126.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has declared Sept. 14 a special nonworking day in Barmm to allow residents to vote.
The Palace has also directed the PNP and Armed Forces of the Philippines to help ensure peaceful, orderly, and credible elections, including stepped-up operations against private armed groups and other security threats. DEF
