An official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday said they have coordinated with authorities on the augmentation of security in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
According to Comelec spokesman John Rex Laudiangco, they are also looking at reinforcing the established Comelec checkpoints for the Sept. 14 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE).
“We have informed these agencies that, if necessary, they should deploy additional personnel from other regions to maintain security in the BARMM,” he said in a television interview.
“There is also a need to intensify the more than 18,000 Comelec checkpoints currently established across the BARMM,” the official added.
However, Laudiangco clarified that they will not “militarized” the region ahead of next month’s polls.
“It should not cause fear or stigma among our fellow citizens in their respective towns, especially in Datu Odin Sinsuat,” he said.
“It should not turn into a militarized zone. Rather, the presence should be just enough to maintain peace and order,” the Comelec spokesperson stressed.
On Saturday, BARMM Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua survived an ambush attempt in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte by still unidentified gunmen.
The Comelec is already considering it as an election-related violent incident even without an official finding from the Philippine National Police.
Authorities are still investigating the incident to find out who perpetrated the slay try and the motive. (PNA)