MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) vowed to remain impartial, protect voters’ rights, and ensure peaceful first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections to be held on Monday.
“The campaign is over. Now the attention should be on the voters,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said on Sunday.
“Our people are there to keep the polling areas safe, assist when needed and respond when necessary—but they must always remain impartial,” he added.
READ: What to know about BARMM’s first parliamentary elections
All police units in BARMM and Police Regional Offices in Regions 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 have been placed on full alert until Sept. 30.
About 10,500 police personnel have been deployed for election-related duties, including around 4,900 from the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and 5,600 augmentation forces from other regional offices and specialized units.
“All our deployed personnel are in place and ready to respond to any situation,” Nartatez said.
The personnel have been assigned to secure Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices, treasurer’s offices, polling centers, checkpoints, and areas identified as election hotspots.
“Over the years, elections in this part of Mindanao [have] been marked with violence and [have] been perceived as dangerous,” Nartatez said.
He added that the police want to demonstrate that peaceful, orderly, and credible elections can be held in BARMM.
The PNP said the overall security situation in BARMM remains generally calm, with no serious threats monitored so far.
READ: Comelec, military officials inspect Lanao del Sur polling precinct
Authorities, however, continue to closely monitor 93 of the region’s 105 towns and cities that have been classified as areas of concern under the yellow, orange, and red categories.
Yellow areas are those with potential election-related incidents, while orange areas are marked by intense political rivalries.
Red areas, meanwhile, face active threats from domestic terrorist groups, including communist rebels and the Maute group.
Nartatez said the police would maintain their presence across the region to protect voters and safeguard the integrity of the elections.
Comelec data showed that around 2.4 million registered voters are expected to vote in 5,212 clustered precincts.
A total of 154 candidates are competing for 80 seats in the first regular BARMM parliamentary elections.
The polls will determine the members of the region’s first regularly elected 80-member Parliament, composed of 40 party representatives, 32 district representatives and eight sectoral representatives. /mcm
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