COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Newly elected officials praised the military under the Army’s 6th Infantry Division and the Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for their neutrality during joint election security operations in the May 12 polls in Central Mindanao.
Reelected Cotabato City Mayor Mohammad Ali Matabalao said Friday via text and Viber messages that his administration was grateful to the 6th ID and PRO-BAR for tightly securing polling centers in all 37 barangays of the city.
“They were neutral and efficient in performing their election security duties,” Matabalao said.
Col. Jibin Bongcayao, city police director, and his team; his immediate superior, Brig. Gen. Romeo Juan Macapaz, regional police director; and personnel from the Marine Battalion Landing Team 5 under the 1st Marine Brigade, which is under the operational control of the 6th ID jointly secured the polling sites in Cotabato City.
Officials Praise Military, Police
Datu Tucao Ong Mastura and Datu Ali Omar Midtimbang, the newly elected governors of Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, respectively, said Friday that soldiers and police promptly addressed tensions at several polling centers where supporters of rival candidates clashed while waiting to vote.
Two other military units of the 1st Marine Brigade — MBLT-2 and MBLT-6 — assisted the 6th ID in securing polling sites located in school campuses across seven towns in Maguindanao del Norte.
Maj. Gen. Donald Gumiran, commander of the 6th ID, said the support of the media in Central Mindanao and various Muslim and Christian peace advocacy groups strenghtened their election security efforts.
“That gave our efforts a big boost,” he said.
Election Hotspots
The canvassing of election returns for the gubernatorial and vice gubernatorial races in Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur — both considered election hotspots due to long-standing rivalries among Moro clans — was held at the 6th ID headquarters in Camp Siongco, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte.
Officials of the Commission on Elections in the Bangsamoro region, quoted in radio reports Friday, said the canvassing at the 6th ID headquarters concluded peacefully Wednesday and was accomplished without major incidents.
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