COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Military and police forces are ramping up preparations to ensure peaceful elections in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in May 2025.

Lieutenant General Antonio Nafarrete, commander of the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom), said on Saturday, April 26, that all military units in the two island provinces have finalized joint security plans in coordination with the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“We are not taking any chances,” Nafarrete told reporters. “Our forces in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi are implementing tight election security measures as part of our broader contingency plans.”

Security efforts are being coordinated by the Army’s 11th Infantry Division in Sulu, the Navy’s 2nd Marine Brigade in Tawi-Tawi, and the Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR).

Police Brigadier General Romeo Juan Macapaz, PRO-BAR director, expressed optimism about holding peaceful elections, citing the resolution of more than 30 violent clan wars in Sulu’s 19 towns in recent years. Local government officials, police, and military units have worked together to broker settlements, helping stabilize the province.

Nafarrete noted that Sulu, once a hotbed of election-related violence, has been significantly pacified following multi-sector efforts to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf Group, whose remnants had previously meddled in local political contests.

On April 24, top commanders from the 2nd Marine Brigade, Naval Forces Western Mindanao, and the Philippine Air Force convened in Barangay Sanga-Sanga, Bongao, Tawi-Tawi’s capital, to refine their security plans.

Nafarrete said he is confident that Tawi-Tawi will likewise experience orderly polls.

Meanwhile, the 11th Infantry Division and its brigades also met on April 23 at the 1102nd Infantry Brigade headquarters in Luuk, Sulu, to finalize coordination protocols with local government units and PRO-BAR to safeguard the integrity of the elections.

The military and police vowed continued collaboration with stakeholders to ensure that the May 2025 electoral exercise proceeds without violence or intimidation.

About The Author

John Unson

John Unson is a veteran Filipino journalist who serves as a staff writer for the regions “Central Mindanao and BARMM” at The Philippine Star. He covers news and events in Mindanao — especially in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the broader Central Mindanao area. His reporting spans a wide range of topics including security incidents, terrorist-related developments, drug enforcement, smuggling operations, social issues, and regional politics.

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