TWO additional Army battalions will be deployed to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM) to secure the region’s first parliamentary elections on October 13.
Army chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete yesterday said the additional troops will augment personnel of the 1st and 6th infantry divisions operating in the BARMM area.
Nafarette said the two Army battalions will come from units in Mindanao. An Army battalion is typically composed of around 500 personnel.
“We have additional forces preparing (for deployment to BARMM),” Nafarrete told a press briefing at the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio.
He said the deployment of the two battalions is part of the contingency measures of the military for the BARRM elections.
“We are ready (to secure the elections), we have templates for that,” added Nafarrete, noting the Army’s role in the peaceful national and local elections last May.
Nafarrete said the military is expecting a peaceful election in BARMM, noting that military commanders are collaborating with various stakeholders.
Nafarrete said soldiers are conducting checkpoint operations to prevent individuals or groups from undermining the elections.
To the public, Nafarrete said: “Rest assured that we will be there to secure (the elections) and make sure that people will not be impeded from voting.
“Your Army, the joint task forces there will ensure that the people can vote freely and prevent any (untoward) incidents.”
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is requiring the accredited parliamentary sectoral organizations (PSOs) to submit the election results of their respective assemblies the week before the October 13 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE).
Based on Resolution No. 11174, the Comelec en banc said PSOs must submit the assembly results on the election of their respective sectoral representatives between October 6 and 12.
“Within seven calendar days before the day of the elections or from October 6 to 12, 2025, the Assembly Results of the Sectoral Organizations shall be submitted to the Bangsamoro Electoral Office (BEO),” said the Comelec.
“The BEO shall, then, transmit the Assembly Results from the concerned agencies to the Regional Board of Canvassers (RBOC),” it added.
In particular, the Commission said they expect the submission of the names of the two Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIP) Sectoral Representatives as determined at the Regional Inter-Tribal Convention, and the name of the Traditional Leader Sectoral Representative as determined in the Intra-Sultanate Assembly.
Also expected are the name of the Ulama Sectoral Representative as determined in the Regional Ulama Convention, and the name of the Bangsamoro Women Sectoral Representative as determined in the assembly of the registered and accredited sectoral organizations.
The Comelec said they will also expect the name of the Bangsamoro Youth Sectoral Representative, as determined in the assembly of the registered and accredited sectoral organizations, as well as the names of the two Settler Communities Sectoral Representatives, as determined in the assembly of the registered and accredited sectoral organizations.
The Commission said Bangsamoro Parliamentary Sectoral Representatives shall be proclaimed along with the candidates for political party representatives elected during the October 13 polls.
“The assembly-elected Sectoral Representatives of the NMIP, Traditional Leaders, Ulama, Women, Youth, and Settler Communities shall be proclaimed by the RBOC,” said the Comelec.
The Bangsamoro Parliament is set to be composed of 80 members, composed of 40 political party representatives, 32 district representatives, and 8 sectoral representatives. – With Gerard Naval
