CEBU CITY – The Armed Forces-Visayas Command (Viscom) will deploy over 17,000 personnel as part of its security coverage in the Visayas in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) on October 30.

THE Visayas Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center discusses security preparations for next week’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) during a meeting on Tuesday, October 24, at the headquarters of the Coast Guard District-Central Visayas in Cebu City. (Viscom)
During the 3rd Quarter Meeting of the Visayas Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center at the headquarters of the Coast Guard District-Central Visayas here on Tuesday, October 24, Viscom revealed that 17,463 Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel will be deployed in various areas in the Visayas.
“As the old saying goes, ‘hope for the best, plan for the worst.’ Our security effort was conceptualized not because we foresee an imminent threat but because we wanted to ensure that the upcoming electoral process will succeed. Likewise, it aims to boost the confidence of our people to come out and cast their votes out of their own free will and not because they are intimidated or threatened by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) or any threat groups,” Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo PA, commander of Viscom, said during the meeting.
Viscom’s security force is composed of officers, enlisted personnel, and Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit Active Auxiliary (CAA).
Viscom said almost half of AFP personnel will sustain focused military operations in the outskirts communities in the region to prevent the CPP-NPA from perpetrating atrocities that might disrupt the electoral process in these areas.
The remaining half will augment the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard in securing the polling centers, transporting of election paraphernalia, and sustaining the conduct of election checkpoints in the urban areas.
Viscom said 5,866 personnel will secure the BSKE in Region 6, 5,356 will cover Region 7, and over 6,000 personnel will cover Region 8.