THE Philippine National Police (PNP) will deploy additional police personnel to maintain peace and order before, during and after the parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
PNP Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. gave the assurance after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) identified 108 areas of concern for the upcoming BARMM elections.
“Ensuring the peaceful elections in BARMM is a continuing process. Security measures are in place, but regular monitoring and real-time adjustments are being done based on the situation on the ground,” said Nartatez.
“The goal has always been to provide the safest environment for all our kababayan in the area to freely choose their next leaders and eventually prove that BARMM is way different now compared to what it was known in the past, especially during elections,” he added.
Earlier, the PNP deployed 9,463 police personnel to conduct security operations in BARMM during the election period.
Nartatez said the PNP is looking at deploying additional personnel for augmentation.
He said the PNP will also strengthen its coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as part of its security preparations for the elections.
“We strengthen our intelligence-sharing with the military as part of our crackdown against remnants of local armed and terror groups that may bring hostilities in the region,” he said.
“We call on the public to remain alert and vigilant and report to authorities if they find any suspicious individuals or groups that may threaten security,” he added.
The BARMM parliamentary elections are scheduled for September 14, 2026.
The classification covers areas facing varying levels of security risks that could affect the conduct of the polls.
Lanao del Sur has the highest number of red zones with 21, followed by Maguindanao del Sur with 11 orange zones. Maguindanao del Norte and Basilan have areas classified from low to high risk, while Tawi-Tawi remains relatively secure and stable.
Comelec classifies red zones as areas marked by severe risks and previous violent incidents that may warrant increased election oversight, while orange zones are areas confronted with serious armed security challenges.
Yellow zones are areas with a documented history of election-related disturbances, while green zones are considered secure localities with no identified security threats. (TPM)