888 cops to fill in for teachers in election boards in Lanao del Sur, Basilan

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Officials say 739 cops are assigned to Lanao del Sur, while the remaining 149 are deployed to Basilan

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines – With the specter of election violence looming, nearly 900 cops will replace public school teachers as Special Election Board members in the Bangsamoro provinces of Lanao del Sur and Basilan, where 31 areas have been flagged as potential election hotspots by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Of the 888 police officers, 739 were assigned to Lanao del Sur, while the remaining 149 were deployed to Basilan, officials said on Monday, May 5.

Of the 31 election hotspots identified by Comelec, 20 are in Lanao del Sur and 11 in Basilan.

Colonel Robert Daculan, Lanao del Sur police director, said the 739 officers deployed in his area of responsibility came from the Davao Region, Soccsksargen, and Caraga.

Before deployment, the officers underwent cultural sensitivity training and received situational briefings to familiarize themselves with the local peace and order landscape.

“This initiative aims to ensure that all deployed personnel are culturally aware, well-informed, and fully prepared to uphold peace, security, and integrity during the electoral process,” Daculan said.

The 149 officers assigned to Basilan are from the Bicol Region, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Caraga.

They will be in Basilan for more or less 20 days, said Colonel Cerrazid Umabong, Basilan police director, upon their arrival in Lamitan City.

Umabong said their deployment areas include: Lamitan City (21), Maluso (90), Al-Barka (23), Tabuan Lasa (6), and Hadji Mohammad Ajul (9).

Like their counterparts in Lanao del Sur, the officers assigned to Basilan also received cultural sensitivity orientation and were briefed on the prevailing peace and order situation.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines deployed an additional 200 soldiers to reinforce election security operations in Basilan.

Brigadier General Alvin Luzon, commander of the 101st Infantry Brigade, said the reinforcements include the 20th Special Forces Company from Sulu and a composite company from the Special Forces Regiment headquarters in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija.

The composite company arrived in Basilan on May 2, followed by the 20th Special Forces Company on May 4. They were the second and third reinforcement units, respectively.

The first batch of reinforcements, also from Sulu, arrived in Basilan on April 20.

In Sulu, the 1102nd Infantry Brigade activated and deployed a task group on May 3 to the island municipality of Pata as part of intensified security measures for the May 12 midterm elections.

Brigadier General Alaric Avelino Delos Santos, commander of the 1102nd Brigade, said Task Group “Pata” consists of 100 personnel from the 21st Infantry Battalion, 2nd Civil-Military Operations (CMO) Company of the 15th CMO Battalion, 112th Military Intelligence Company, and Signal Battalion.

“Through Task Group ‘Pata,’ we aim to guarantee that every voter in the island municipality of Pata can exercise their right to vote without fear or intimidation,” Delos Santos said.

Colonel Wilfredo Borgonia Jr., the brigade’s executive officer and designated commander of the task group, said the unit is tasked with securing polling places, supporting Comelec, and coordinating with local government units and law enforcement agencies. – Rappler.com