THE military commanders in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi province have been directed to deploy additional Quick Response Forces (QRFs) to ensure sufficient number of troops are available to respond to election-related duties.
Lieutenant General Antonio Nafarrete, commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), issued the order after he presided over a series of conferences on Security and Contingency Plans of military units based in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi for the May 12, 2025 polls.
Nafarrete said security and contingency plans must anticipate potential threats and include flexible, comprehensive measures to prevent disruptions in the conduct of elections.
He stressed the need for continuous refinement of operational strategies and highlighted that preparedness, vigilance, and interagency collaboration are key to securing the democratic and free electoral process in the region.
Nafarrete previewed and assessed the election readiness of Joint Task Force (JTF)-Orion during a conference on Wednesday, April 23, at the 1102nd Infantry Brigade (1102Bde) headquarters in Camp AKA, Bual village, Luuk, Sulu.
The session, led by Major General Leonardo Peña, 11th Infantry Division (11ID) and JTF-Orion commander, brought together the commanders of 1101st, 1102nd, and 1103rd Infantry Brigades, who laid down their respective action plans for the elections.
The discussion focused on deployment strategies, contingency plans and operational requirements of units during the elections particularly in the island municipalities.
Among the logistical challenges raised include limited sea transport assets for the distribution and retrieval of election paraphernalia and deployment of security personnel, unreliable communication signal, and lack of power in polling centers, among others.
Nafarrete led another conference Thursday, April 24, with JTF-Poseidon at the 2nd Marine Brigade (2MBde) headquarters in Sanga-Sanga village, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi.
Rear Admiral Francisco Tagamolila Jr., Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM) and JTF Poseidon commander, led the session alongside commanders of the Joint Task Groups under JTF Poseidon.
The meeting underscored the strategic roles of the task groups, particularly in securing land and maritime transport routes and ensuring safe access to voters in the island municipalities.
In both conferences, Nafarrete emphasized the importance of proactive and scenario-based planning to identify gaps and challenges in security operations to enhance operational readiness.
He urged all unit commanders to integrate lessons learned from previous elections to better understand the security situation during the election and foresee possible occurrence of similar election-related incidents in the past.
He said that close coordination should also be made with local government units and partner agencies to secure additional water transport assets in order to ensure the timely delivery of election materials and personnel especially to remote islands polling precincts.
The two security conferences are part of a broader initiative to strengthen the election security posture of military units across Western Mindanao. (SunStar Zamboanga)