ADDITIONAL TROOPS. Some 500 soldiers from various Army units arrived at Awang Airport in Maguindanao del Norte on Friday (Oct. 20, 2023) to augment security forces of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The deployment of the augmentation force aims to ensure the conduct of peaceful and orderly BSKE in the region, Army officials said. (Photo courtesy of 6ID)
CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao del Norte – A 500-man military force arrived here Friday to reinforce security for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The deployment of the augmentation force forms part of the initiative of Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Roy Galido to help military forces ensure peace and order during the Oct. 30 political exercise.
In an earlier visit here, Galido told military officials in the region and officials from the Commission on Elections that “there will be no room for the failure of elections as the local barangay polls will proceed as scheduled.”
Galido, former head of the 6th Infantry Division (ID) and Western Mindanao Command, assured that the military will intensify its security efforts, in collaboration with the Philippine National Police and other government security forces.
On Friday morning, a C-130 aircraft from the Philippine Air Force transported the additional troops coming from various units of the Philippine Army.
Major General Alex S. Rillera, 6ID commander and concurrent chief of the Army-led Joint Task Force Central, said the additional deployment is a "proactive stance aimed at safeguarding the electoral process, demonstrating the commitment of the government to upholding democracy and maintaining law and order."
The BARMM police listed at least 249 villages belonging to the red category of election hotspots in the region.
The 6ID covers the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, parts of Lanao del Sur, and the 63 BARMM villages in North Cotabato in its area of responsibility in mainland Mindanao.
Other areas covered by 6ID are the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato, and parts of North Cotabato and Sarangani in the Soccsksargen region. (PNA)
