Army Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu, deputy commander of the 6th Infantry Division, was among the signatories to an inter-agency, multi-sector cooperation compact, printed on a tarpaulin, on election security programs every election period in Central Mindanao. (John Unson Photo)
COTABATO CITY — Military officials and local peace and order councils commended Muslim, non-Moro, and indigenous communities for helping keep the peace during the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections on September 14.
Army and police officials credited local governments and communities with supporting inter-agency security operations as voters across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) went to the polls.
The Army’s 6th Infantry Division and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Peace and Development Office (AFPPDO) formally wrapped up their election security operations on Wednesday, September 16, during a post-election conference at Camp Siongco in Barangay Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte.
The security operations were conducted under the supervision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia and Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Mel Senen Sarmiento had earlier acknowledged that election-related incidents occurred in Cotabato City and other parts of BARMM.
Despite the incidents, they said the September 14 elections proceeded as scheduled and were generally successful.
The post-election conference brought together officials from the 6th Infantry Division, AFPPDO, Police Regional Office-BARMM (PRO-BAR), the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, the BARMM government and local government units in Central Mindanao.
Participants reviewed incidents recorded during polling day and discussed measures to prevent similar problems during future elections in areas under the jurisdiction of the 6th ID and PRO-BAR.
The meeting was jointly led by AFPPDO official Col. Alvin Iyog, acting 6th ID commander Brig. Gen. Ricky Bunayog, his deputy Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu, and PRO-BAR deputy director for administration Police Brig. Gen. Jemuel Siason.
Representatives of BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua’s office and local governments also took part.
The 6th ID’s area of responsibility covers the neighboring provinces of Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte, all 37 barangays of Cotabato City, and the eight towns comprising the Bangsamoro Special Geographic Area in Cotabato province.
Bunayog thanked local executives and their peace and order councils for helping the military and police carry out their election security missions.
“The role of the local communities and local government units in keeping peace in their respective territories during electoral exercises is so important. We in the Army and the police will have a hard time doing it without community support,” Bunayog said.
The conference ended with participants signing a commitment to continue working together to promote unity among communities that supported rival political parties during the September 14 elections.
The pledge is intended to encourage cooperation and ease tensions among communities following the region’s first parliamentary polls.
About The Author
