Ensure peace, Army told
(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the military to ensure peace and security all over the country amid the ongoing campaign for May's midterm elections. Marcos issued the directive during his visit to the Army's 6th Infantry Division (6ID) at Camp BGen. Gonzalo H. Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, on Friday. In his remarks, the president stressed that the presence and visibility of the military were vital in ensuring security, especially during the election campaign. "I'm very happy to be able to report to you that we are already in the process of transitioning internal security away from the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and back to the PNP (Philippine National Police)," he told the military. Marcos then commended the Army's 6ID for the hard work in bringing peace to the region and for welcoming back former rebels into society. He said domestic stability in areas in Mindanao was achieved because of the government's peace initiatives. During his visit to the troops, the president witnessed the presentation of more than 1,000 firearms, small arms, and light weapons captured, confiscated and surrendered from 2024 to April 10 this year. The president said the PNP could handle the remaining pockets of insurgency in the country. Earlier, PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil reaffirmed the national police force's full readiness to protect not just voters but also Commission on Elections personnel, public school teachers who will serve in polling precincts, and civil society partners working to safeguard the polls. "We are deploying all our resources to make sure this election is safe, fair, and peaceful," Marbil said. "We will not allow fear or intimidation to suppress the democratic voice of the Filipino people." Marbil emphasized that this initiative followed the President's directive to uphold the sanctity of the electoral process — particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), long considered a flashpoint for election-related violence. According to the Department of the Interior and Local Government, at least 34 election hotspots have been identified nationwide — 27 of them located in BARMM. To curb potential threats, the PNP has set up 6,327 checkpoints across the country, enforcing a strict gun ban ahead of the polls. These measures are designed not only to deter violence but also to signal the government's zero-tolerance approach to election-related crime. Election Day is on May 12, but overseas voters may cast their votes from April 13 to May 12, while local absentee voters may cast their votes from April 28 to 30.
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the military to ensure peace and security all over the country amid the ongoing campaign for May's midterm elections.
Marcos issued the directive during his visit to the Army's 6th Infantry Division (6ID) at Camp BGen. Gonzalo H. Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, on Friday.
In his remarks, the president stressed that the presence and visibility of the military were vital in ensuring security, especially during the election campaign.
"I'm very happy to be able to report to you that we are already in the process of transitioning internal security away from the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and back to the PNP (Philippine National Police)," he told the military.
Marcos then commended the Army's 6ID for the hard work in bringing peace to the region and for welcoming back former rebels into society.
He said domestic stability in areas in Mindanao was achieved because of the government's peace initiatives.
During his visit to the troops, the president witnessed the presentation of more than 1,000 firearms, small arms, and light weapons captured, confiscated and surrendered from 2024 to April 10 this year.
The president said the PNP could handle the remaining pockets of insurgency in the country.
Earlier, PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil reaffirmed the national police force's full readiness to protect not just voters but also Commission on Elections personnel, public school teachers who will serve in polling precincts, and civil society partners working to safeguard the polls.
"We are deploying all our resources to make sure this election is safe, fair, and peaceful," Marbil said. "We will not allow fear or intimidation to suppress the democratic voice of the Filipino people."
Marbil emphasized that this initiative followed the President's directive to uphold the sanctity of the electoral process — particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), long considered a flashpoint for election-related violence.
According to the Department of the Interior and Local Government, at least 34 election hotspots have been identified nationwide — 27 of them located in BARMM.
To curb potential threats, the PNP has set up 6,327 checkpoints across the country, enforcing a strict gun ban ahead of the polls.
These measures are designed not only to deter violence but also to signal the government's zero-tolerance approach to election-related crime.
Election Day is on May 12, but overseas voters may cast their votes from April 13 to May 12, while local absentee voters may cast their votes from April 28 to 30.
