DAVAO CITY – A contingent of the Philippine Army from Northern Luzon arrived at the Tactical Operations Group-12 in Maguindanao del Norte on Friday, May 9, to augment security within the area of responsibility of the 6th Infantry Division.
Major Gen. Donald Gumiran, 6th ID commander,
said the deployment is part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ comprehensive security preparations for the midterm elections on Monday.
TROOPS from Northern Mindanao arrive to help secure the elections in Maguindanao del Norte. (6th ID)
TROOPS from Northern Mindanao arrive to help secure the elections in Maguindanao del Norte. (6th ID)
“The arrival of additional troops is part of our intensified security measures. Our goal is to ensure a safe, peaceful, orderly, clean, and credible elections. We are committed to supporting the Commission on Elections and other government agencies in upholding the integrity of the democratic process,” Gumiran said in a statement.
One-hundred thirty soldiers from the Army 53rd Division Reconnaissance Company from the 5th Infantry Division in Isabela province arrived onboard a Philippine Air Force C-130 aircraft.
The 6th ID said elite troops will reinforce the Maguindanao del Sur-based 90th Infantry Battalion which is currently responsible for ensuring security in key areas within the division's AOR.
Based in Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao del Norte, the 6th Infantry Division oversees at least 11 battalions that covers the provinces of Cotabato, South Cotabato, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Sarangani, and Sultan Kudarat.
Several towns within the 6th ID’s AOR were identified as election hotspots. Two – Datu Odin Sinsuat and Buluan in Maguindanao del Sur – have been placed under Commission on Elections control due to election-related violence.
Last week, the Police Regional Office-11 (Davao region) also deployed 500 personnel to serve in different voting precincts in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).