DAVAO CITY – The Army’s Sixth Infantry Division (6th ID) has assured the orderly and peaceful conduct of the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on September 14.

6th ID Commander Brig. Gen. Ricky Bunayog said that the military, along with the different units of the Philippine National Police ((PNP), will extend its full support to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the historic staging of the parliamentary elections.

“We must remain proactive. If you receive information from the ground or notice any suspicious activity during the election period, do not hesitate to report it to the authorities so that immediate action can be taken to ensure a peaceful and orderly parliamentary election,” Bunayog said.

The Army official issued the statement following the coordinating conference to strengthen inter-agency coordination, enhance security planning, and reinforce collective efforts to maintain peace and security throughout the election period.

The 6th ID's area of responsibility spans across the provinces Cotabato, South Cotabato, parts of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sarangani Province and Sultan Kudarat.

Among its initial measures for an orderly election is the routine visitation of different units in identified polling centers.

The Army’s 33rd Infantry Battalion, the newly-deployed Task Force 92 (TF92) from Nueva Ecija and 1st Brigade Combat Team have been going around their area of responsibility in Northern Kabuntalan in Maguindanao del Norte to conduct dialogues and awareness campaign for holding a peaceful election.

They also made visitations in the neighboring towns Kadayangan and Nabalawag under the Special Geographic Area SGA) of BARMM.

Moreover, the Army also expressed support to the campaign of Comelec against vote buying under the Committee on Kontra-Bigay (CKB) and the Committee on Environmentally Sustainable Elections.

Bunayog also said the government forces will assist all its counterparts in the government to prevent vote-buying or vote-selling activities during the election period.

He also reaffirmed the Army’s role in fulfilling its constitutional mandate, particularly by maintaining a secure environment for voters, election personnel, and other stakeholders throughout the electoral process.

However, Bunayog emphasized that maintaining the integrity of the electoral process requires more than security measures.

“It also calls for the collective vigilance and active participation of government institutions, civil society organizations, election watchdogs, local stakeholders, and the Bangsamoro communities,” he explained. (Keith Bacongco)