The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have joined forces with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and other sectors to ensure peaceful and orderly local and national elections on May 9.

“The event this morning shows the solidarity of the Comelec, PNP. and the AFP and all sectors of society, in each’s aspirations to really ensure that we have a secured, accurate and fair elections this coming May,” said AFP chief, Gen. Andres Centino, during the launch of the ‘Kasimbayanan’ advocacy for the 2022 elections in Camp Crame, Quezon City Thursday morning.

Aside from the military and the police, representatives from the Comelec, Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Information and Communications Technology, poll watchdogs such as the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), and religious and community leaders also signed a covenant of peace aimed at ensuring that the “sovereign will” of the people will prevail in the polls.

As early as January, Centino said the Comelec, PNP, and AFP have been in close coordination with each other to ensure that adequate forces are deployed in localities that may have potential problems on election day.

“So pinag uusapan na natin yan (that is being discussed right now) and in fact sa ngayon (at present) the AFP has been providing sufficient and adequate forces to coordinate with the PNP para magkaroon ng mga (to set up) checkpoints if ever may need sa isang lugar (there is a need in a particular locality) Of course we have other functions to do but dahil importante sa atin itong elections na ito (but since this election is important to all of us) this coming May, we are providing sufficient forces,” he added.

Centino added that the presence of private armed groups (PAGs) is being addressed through the deployment of adequate forces in coordination with the PNP.

He, meanwhile, declined to reveal how many military troops will be deployed to secure the May elections, adding that the number will be released in “due time”.

Centino said the military is also addressing security threats posed by the communist terrorist groups (CTGs) and local terrorist groups (LTGs) who may also disrupt elections through intimidation, harassment, vote buying, and through their permit-to-win, and permit-to-campaign schemes.

He also expressed confidence that the country’s communist insurgency problem will be addressed soon.

“We just had our command conference sa AFP together with the PNP. We are confident that nearing the end of the President’s term ay ma-address natin ang problema ng (we will address the problem of) insurgency. We are gaining successes in terms of dismantling guerilla fronts, the clearing of influenced barangays and in fact, some of the top leaders of the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army) have been neutralized already,” he added.

Meanwhile, PNP chief, Gen. Dionardo Carlos, said the activity was supposed to be held early in January but this was postponed as both he and Centino contracted coronavirus disease 2019.

Carlos also said that all preparations are now geared towards attaining a safe and peaceful election.

“So kasama po kami bilang deputized agency ng Comelec, will always follow the directive of the Comelec. At the same time, yung coordination namin ng AFP at sa Coast Guard doon sa task given to us by the Comelec and of course the overall instruction of President Rodrigo R. Duterte (We are part of (the effort to secure the elections) as a deputized agency by the Comelec, and we will always follow the directive of the Comelec. At the same, we will coordinate with the AFP and the Coast Guard on the tasks given to us by the Comelec, and of course the overall instruction of President Rodrigo R. Duterte),” he added.

Carlos said they will deploy personnel assigned at national and regional headquarters in areas where they are registered voters.

“Ang aking instruction yung amin pong deployment for (and as part of my deployment instructions for) the election, we will include the personnel in the NHQ (National Headquarters) in the regional headquarters at ibaba namin sila kung saan sila botante (and we will deploy them in the areas that they are registered voters). This is unlike in the past, where only RSSF (Reactionary Standby Support Force) is deployed,” he added.

Carlos said police officers will be deployed to their areas 10 days before the elections.

“So we will have more policemen on the ground. We will have a bigger number of QRF (Quick Reaction Force) and our RSSF is a small number because we have already forward deployed our personnel in the headquarters and regional headquarters,” the PNP chief added. (PNA)