THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is seeking an increase in the deployment of Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel ahead of the September 14 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE).
In a television interview, Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco said the move would include reinforcing the established Comelec checkpoints across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm).
“We have informed these agencies that, if necessary, they should deploy additional personnel from other regions to maintain security in the Barmm,” Laudiangco said.
“There is also a need to intensify the more than 18,000 Comelec checkpoints currently established across the Barmm,” he added.
However, the poll official said the Comelec will not allow the Barmm to be “militarized” ahead of the September 14 polls.
Laudiangco said they are conscious of the need to prevent the Barmm from becoming a “militarized zone” ahead of Election Day.
“It should not cause fear or stigma among our fellow citizens in their respective towns, especially in Datu Odin Sinsuat,” said Laudiangco.
“It should not turn into a militarized zone. Rather, the presence should be just enough to maintain peace and order,” he added.
On Saturday afternoon, Barmm Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua survived an ambush attempt in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, by still-unidentified gunmen.
The Comelec said Monday that it is already considering the attack on Macacua an election-related violent incident, even without an official finding from the PNP. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)
