ILOILO City – Around 3,922 members of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) were deployed across Western and Central Visayas to secure the local and national elections on Monday, May 12.
Major General Michael Samson, 3ID commander, said he deployed all available personnel to strengthen security preparation for the upcoming elections.
The augmentation troops, composed of 1,126 soldiers and 48 mobility assets, came from the 301st Infantry Brigade based in Camp Hernandez, Dingle, Iloilo and its line battalions – the 61st, 82nd and 12th infantry battalions (IBs); the operationally controlled unit; and the 3rd Civil-Military Operations Battalion.
The 3ID headquarters in Jamindan, Capiz also sent additional 274 personnel and one mobility asset.
Other troops came from the 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Camp Gerona, Murcia, Negros Occidental and its line battalions – the 62nd, 79th and 15th IBs – with a total of 1,035 deployed personnel.
The rest of the 1,487 soldiers from the 302nd Infantry Brigade located at Camp Leon Kilat, Tanjay City, Negros Oriental and its line units that include the 47th, 94th and 11th IB were deployed to the Negros Island Region (NIR) and parts of Central Visayas.
The said infantry brigades also deployed 42 mobility assets to be used in case of emergency.
“We have to utilize our available personnel to help the Philippine National Police (PNP) in securing the 2025 elections,” said Samson.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, May 7, Samson spearheaded the inspection in his area of responsibility to make sure that his men are in place for the elections.
He again reminded the government troops to remain apolitical and adhere to election laws and regulations.
“We have to adhere also to deployment guidelines and coordination protocols with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and other government agencies,” he said.
The 3ID commander further said that his troops underwent comprehensive training and coordination exercises, including contingency planning, crowd control, and legal orientation to strategic locations throughout the Visayas regions and NIR to provide security and support before, during, and after the elections.
“We are making comprehensive pre-deployment preparations to ensure our soldiers effectively perform their election duties. This includes securing voters, board of election inspectors, and Comelec personnel, as well as protecting voting places. Our goal is to guarantee that the people of Western and Central Visayas and NIR as well can safely and freely exercise their right to suffrage and to ensure a fair, safe, honest, and credible 2025, elections,” Samson added./PN
