MANILA, Philippines — Close to 6,700 police personnel have been deployed to secure the Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite, which kicked off early Monday, although police said voting is foreseen to be peaceful.
In a press briefing, Police Director General Oscar Albayalde, Philippine National Police Chief, said that the ARMM regional police office expects a peaceful conduct of the plebiscite since their monitoring indicates a majority of the electorate is in favor of the measure, which will create a new region with more autonomy than the ARMM.
"Based on the monitoring, there are no groups that have expressed strong or active opposition to the introduced political entity, however, we cannot discount the possibility that threat groups such as the Abu Sayyaf Group, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, Maute and local terrorist groups might create atrocities to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the plebiscite," he said.
Albayalde said the PNP shares the sentiment of President Rodrigo Duterte, who shepherded the bill through Congress and has urged voters to support the law at the plebiscite, that "this law not only serves as an expression of our desire to end more than half a century of armed stuggle in the region but also as a testament to our determination to bring peace."
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The PNP chief said 6,698 police personnel have been deployed to provide security for 2.1 million voters in 2,572 barangaysin the ARMM and in Cotabato City and in Isabela City in Basilan.
Deployed police will be backed by a reserve force of two battalions of the elite Special Action Force and by the Regional Mobile Force from the Calabarzon and Central Luzon regional offices.
He said 10,441 troops from five Armed Forces of the Philippines Joint Task Forces will also provide security.
Police will deploy 3,209 personnel for the February 6 plebiscite in six municipilaties in Lanao del Norte and 39 barangays in North Cotabato.
The BOL, which is meant to implement the peace agreement the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed in 2014, has been questioned at the Supreme Court by Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan Sr. but the court did not issue an order to stop or delay voting.
Moro National Liberation Front founding chairman Nur Misuari and his faction of the MNLF are also opposed to ratification of the BOL.
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— Jonathan de Santos