By Edwin Fernandez/Philippine News Agency
COTABATO CITY — The chief of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID) in Central Mindanao has assured the public that the Armed Forces the Philippines (AFP) will remain “apolitical and nonpartisan.”
Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, 6ID commander and head of the military-led Joint Task Force Central (JTFC), vowed the AFP will “provide a democratic space and let democracy work.”
“Rest assured that your AFP remains committed and apolitical,” Sobejana said in a statement released by the division on Monday.
He earlier told election stakeholders during a recent gathering of Commission on Elections (Comelec) officials, the military, the police and political candidates in Camp Siongco, Datu Odin Sinsuat that the military “has been neutral and will remain like that in this year’s balloting.”
The gathering, held last May 4, was aimed at ironing out possible glitches in preparation for the midterm elections.
Highlights of the meeting include security deployment of soldiers and police officers and other deputized agencies in the implementation of election laws, and rules and regulations to ensure free, honest, peaceful elections.
In the same gathering, Col. Ronald Briones, police provincial director for Maguindanao, assured that the police will also remain neutral and apolitical and ready to enforce election laws.
Briones said the police will deploy enough police personnel to priority areas of concern.
Maguindanao election supervisor, lawyer Ernie Palanan, said preparations for the May 13 elections in the province are already complete.
Palanan directed all municipal election supervisors to exercise full control over all the activities relative to the election and maintain the dignity of a public servant.
Moreover, Sobejana lauded the efforts of all stakeholders to attain a peaceful and honest election.
“It is our constitutional rights to cast our votes. Free, honest, peaceful and credible elections can be achieved through coordination and collaboration, and by doing our respective duties and responsibilities,” he said.
The 6ID covers the provinces of Sultan Kudarat, North Cotabato, Maguindanao and part of Lanao del Sur in the Central Mindanao region.
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