Around 10,000 police officers have been deployed to ensure safe and secure elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary polls scheduled on October 13, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre said on Monday. A gun ban is in effect from August 14 to October 28.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame, Torre said the deployment covers various parts of BARMM, while the Commission on Elections (Comelec) resolution mandates the gun ban for the entire election period.
Torre added that 94 of 108 towns and municipalities were placed under the “red category,” or areas of grave concern. Two more towns—Buluan in Maguindanao del Sur and Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte—were placed under Comelec control.
The PNP chief said measures are being taken to prevent poll-related violence. “All the security measures we are implementing are part of the preparation to ensure safe, peaceful, and credible elections in the region,” Torre said.
BARMM has consistently been in the PNP’s election watchlist due to a history of gun-related violence. Many private armed groups are also based and operating in the region.
The election period for BARMM’s first parliamentary elections will run from August 14 to October 28 across the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi, including cities in those areas and BARMM’s eight new municipalities under the Special Geographic Area (SGA) in North Cotabato.
