By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Philippine National Police is tightening its grip on election security across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), placing 108 areas under heightened watch ahead of the autonomous region’s first parliamentary elections on Sept. 14.
The security buildup comes as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) identifies communities facing varying degrees of risks that could disrupt the polls, with Lanao del Sur carrying the highest number of red zones at 21.
Maguindanao del Sur follows with 11 orange zones, while areas in Maguindanao del Norte and Basilan have been classified across different levels of election-related security risk.
Tawi-Tawi, meanwhile, remains relatively stable and secure.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the police would continuously adjust its deployment and security measures based on developments on the ground, stressing that election security in BARMM cannot be treated as a one-time operation.
“Ensuring the peaceful elections in BARMM is a continuing process,” Nartatez said, noting that authorities are conducting regular monitoring and making real-time adjustments whenever necessary.
The Comelec’s classification places the most vulnerable communities under red zones, where severe security risks and previous violent incidents have been recorded.
Orange zones face serious armed-security challenges, while yellow zones have histories of election-related disturbances. Green zones are considered generally secure and free of identified threats.
Nartatez said the objective is to give voters a safe environment in which to exercise their right to choose their leaders and demonstrate that BARMM has moved beyond the violence and instability that once marred elections in the region.
He said the preparations are also consistent with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to protect communities and ensure the peaceful, orderly and credible conduct of the parliamentary elections.
The PNP will further reinforce coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines as election day approaches, while authorities are urging residents to remain vigilant and immediately report suspicious individuals or groups that could pose a threat.
So far, the PNP has deployed 9,463 police personnel for the BARMM elections.
Nearly 5,000 are from the Police Regional Office-BARMM, while the remainder are augmentation forces from National Support Units and other police regional offices.
A special electoral board has also been organized to respond to possible security incidents during the election period.
The heightened security comes despite the PNP reporting that no election-related violence has so far been recorded in BARMM, according to Nartatez last week.
Authorities are also enforcing a region-wide gun ban from July 16 through Sept. 29, covering the entire election period and extending beyond election day.
The stakes are considerable.
About 400 candidates are competing for 86 seats in what will be BARMM’s first parliamentary elections—a landmark vote expected to test the region’s political transition and its ability to conduct peaceful democratic exercises.
The elections will cover Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur and Tawi-Tawi, as well as Cotabato City and more than 63 barangays in Cotabato designated as special geographic areas.
With more than a hundred communities already identified as areas of concern, security forces face the challenge of preventing violence without intimidating voters.
For the PNP, the mission is clear: keep the guns silent, keep the voters safe and ensure that BARMM’s first parliamentary elections are decided at the ballot box—not by fear, force or violence.
ia/xf
