Mindanao police, military cooperating to ensure peaceful barangay, SK polls

COTABATO CITY — Top Army officials in Mindanao assured to flex all measures needed to forestall any failure of elections in troubled towns in the Bangsamoro region and in central Mindanao.

Army Lt. Gen. Steve Crespillo, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, on Sunday said that there is cohesive coordination between WestMinCom and the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in keeping peace in remote towns rocked by election-related hostilities in past barangay, local and national electoral exercises.

Crespillo said that the commander of the Philippine Army, Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, has a standing order for their units in the Bangsamoro region and in the Administrative Region 12 to work closely with the Commission on Elections in ensuring an orderly synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on October 30 in both areas.

“Everything is being done to prevent any failure of elections in any area under WestMinCom and that includes the municipalities in the Bangsamoro region,” Crespillo said.

The WestMinCom has jurisdiction over the Army’s 6th Infantry Division based in Camp Siongco in Maguindanao Del Norte that also has units in Maguindanao del Norte, in parts of Lanao del Sur and Cotabato and in the adjoining Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces.

The 6th ID also covers the cities of  Cotabato, Tacurong, Koronadal and General Santos.

Major Gen. Alex Rillera, commander of 6th ID, on Sunday said that their election security missions, being carried out along with PRO-BAR, are well supported by the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Rillera said that the local government units in Bangsamoro municipalities under 6th ID are cooperating with them directed by the office of BARMM Local Government Naguib G. Sinarimbo.

"We are grateful to the MILG-BARMM for supporting our election security missions," Crespillo said.