By Ronron
May 25, 2007
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was deputized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to take a lead role in securing the special elections today (Saturday) in 13 towns in Lanao del Sur province.
But the AFP is quick in assuring that it will not resort to any electioneering activities, noting that it is not in violation of the October 2006 Memorandum of Agreement between the Defense Department and the Comelec that limits the election-duties of the military.
“The AFP would be on the lead role. But I would like to specify that it’s a lead role on the security for the elections in Lanao del Sur (today). The details of this is now being ironed out,” AFP Public Information Officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said in a news conference Friday afternoon in Camp Aguinaldo.
“This is a Comelec directive so we will comply with the directive of the Commission on Elections and other provisions in the MOA,” Bacarro added.
Quoting a Memorandum from Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmeinto, Bacarro said the “AFP can deploy units to patrol the vicinity of threatened areas in order to provide AFP visibility.”
“Patrols in the vicinity of such threatened election shall be limited to a distance of 50 meters away from the perimeter of the polling center unless there is an exigency impending or actual threat to be quelled,” he went on.
Since their task is only limited to security, Bacarro said the military personnel are therefore still not allowed to get inside polling centers and carry ballot boxes.
“Indeed, you can classify this as an election-related duty but this is in the aspect of security… I think we are credible enough to provide security in the area,” he said.
Told that the military may be suspected again of engaging in partisan politics like what happened in the 2004 polls, particularly also in Lanao, Bacarro said: “One thing is definite, whatever activities the AFP will undertake will be done in coordination, in collaboration with the PNP (Philippine National Police) and the Comelec because there is a Comelec designated representative who would be providing most of the decisions based on the recommendations of our ground troops there.”
During the main election last May 14, it was the PNP that was deputized by the Comelec to take a lead role in securing the voting and canvassing precincts. It stemmed from the AFP’s refusal to take active role in this year’s elections following allegations that some of its personnel, including current Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., were involved in vote rigging operations in the 2004 elections to favor President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
As the lead security, the AFP infused additional troops to the province where an Army brigade is already stationed.
Bacarro said components from four battalions coming from the 4th Infantry Division, based in Cagayan de Oro City, and from the 6th Infantry Division, based in Maguindanao, and two independent companies from the Division Reconnaissance Companies were sent to Lanao del Sur to augment the 103rd Infantry Brigade there.
Bacarro said the additional troops is more than 800 in total.
“This will just show the level of preparedness of the AFP in performing their function as lead in the aspect of security,” he said.
He said the military will particularly work in coordination with the Regional Mobile Group of the PNP.
“The local police in the area will revert back in performing their normal police functions,” said Bacarro.
The special elections will be held in the towns of Pualas, Butig, Lumbatan, Marogong, Kapatagan, Sultan Dumalondong, Lumbayanague, Kapai, Madalum, Lumba-bayabao, Masiu, Binidayan, and Bayang.
Voting in these towns did not push through last May 14 due to administrative matters, such as refusal of some election inspectors to report to duty due to threats by armed groups or from rival candidates./DMS
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