The Philippine Army (PA) has deployed nearly 12,000 security personnel across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to ensure a peaceful and orderly environment for the region’s first-ever parliamentary elections on September 14.
Speaking at a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala confirmed that 11,900 soldiers and Cafgu Active Auxiliary (CAA) members drawn from the 1st, 6th and 11th Infantry Divisions have been sent to perform election-related duties.
The deployment includes personnel from infantry battalions, armored units, and field artillery divisions. Additional specialized forces, including soldiers from the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Battalion, are scheduled for deployment ahead of election day.
Dema-ala added that the 6th Infantry Division has completed its pre-deployment orientation training to ensure rapid response capability during the polls.
“Your Army is united with the entire Armed Forces of the Philippines and the entire government to ensure that the people of BARMM can elect their next leaders without any fear for their lives and security,” Dema-ala stated.
Addressing concerns regarding the sizable troop presence in the region, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla clarified that the deployment is strictly aimed at assisting election authorities and protecting voters.
“It is a security support. The objective is to create an environment where voters and election personnel can perform their roles safely,” Padilla said, emphasizing that the military will remain strictly professional, impartial, and respectful of the democratic process.
Padilla noted that military units are coordinating directly with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and other government agencies to secure polling precincts, enforce election laws, and maintain Comelec-led checkpoints across the autonomous region.
The military will also provide security escort services for the safe and timely transport of official ballots and election materials in coordination with Comelec officials.
“The objective is prevention, preventing violence, protecting election materials, and keeping the electoral process safe,” Padilla added.