The Army’s 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division deployed 11,148 troops on Monday, October 23, to ensure the success of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in Western and Central Visayas on October 30.
Of the 11,148 troops, 6,741 will be deployed in Region 6 and 4,407 in Region 7, along with 112 military vehicles, Lt. Col. J-Jay Javines, 3ID Public Affairs Office chief, said.
The troops consist of military personnel and members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) Active Auxiliary (CAA) from the 3ID’s Headquarters, 301st, 302nd, and 303rd Infantry Brigades.
The 3ID also has a Quick Reaction Force composed of 66 military officers, 721 enlisted personnel, and 155 CAA members with 60 mobility assets strategically positioned in Western and Central Visayas provinces, he said.
Western Visayas has 172 Election Areas of Concern (EACs), while Central Visayas has 24. Out of these EACs, 92 are in the province of Iloilo, 51 in Negros Occidental, 14 in Capiz, 12 in Antique, two in Aklan, and one in Iloilo City. There are 13 in Bohol, 9 in Negros Oriental, and two in Cebu province, Javines added.
The election-ready personnel of the 3ID will bolster other security forces in conducting checkpoints, securing polling precincts, and performing other election-related tasks, particularly in identified EACs in Regions 6 and 7, he said.
The Multi-Agency Send-Off and Turnover Ceremony of forces and mobility assets in Western Visayas was held at the headquarters of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO 6) in Iloilo City.
During the ceremony, 3ID, PRO 6, and Coast Guard District-Western Visayas handed over their respective personnel to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC 6), led by its Regional Director, Dennis Ausan.
Ausan emphasized the importance of unity and collective effort in fulfilling their duty to protect the people’s voice.
“In this upcoming election, let us join hands together, work in unison, pray jointly and succeed as one,” . Ausan said.
Maj. Gen. Marion R. Sison, 3ID commander, underscored the two months preparations of security forces for BSKE with the substantial deployment of personnel and mobility assets.
“With these preparations, failure is not an option. We may come from different offices, wear different uniforms, and serve in various units, but we share one common mandate: to ensure honest, orderly, and peaceful elections,” he said.
”Let’s make sure that the voices of our people are heard. No one should be afraid, no one should attempt to intimidate, and no one should be coerced into making payments. Our duty is to ensure the safety of our people and the integrity of the BSKE,” Sison added.
Similar activity took place at the Police Regional Office 7 headquarters in Cebu City.
Meanwhile, at the Headquarters of 3ID in Camp Peralta, Jamindan, Capiz, the Division also conducted a send-off ceremony for its personnel to be deployed in far-flung areas declared EACs using Blackhawk Helicopters, Javines said.*