Officials elated with security ops during midterm polls in Mindanao

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Top security officials were elated with the outcome of the joint military-police security operations in the Bangsamoro region and in central Mindanao during the May 14 elections.

Brig. Gen. Graciano Mijares of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region said Saturday there was no reported case of failure of election in any of the more than 100 towns in BARMM.

The Bangsamoro region covers the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, where some towns are traditional election hotspots, locked in deadly political conflicts involving big political clans.

“We attribute this feat to the cohesive cooperation among the Commission on Elections, the police, the military and other agencies that helped achieve our election security goals,” Mijares said.

Mijares said he is also thankful to the security support extended to PRO-BARMM by the interim chief minister of the newly-created Bangsamoro region, Hadji Ahod Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur are known bastions of the MILF where it has government-recognized enclaves now called “peace zones.”

“The PRO-BARMM leadership is grateful to all police personnel in the region for doing their election security tasks efficiently,” Mijares said.

His senior military counterpart, Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said he is grateful to all Army and Marine units under 6th ID for the peaceful conduct of the May 14 elections in the provinces of Maguindanao, and Lanao del Sur, both in BARMM, and in Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato in Region 12.

 “We ought to thank too the peace advocacy groups and non-government organizations involved in peace-building activities in  towns under 6th ID for helping our men keep the peace during the actual election day,” Sobejana said.

The Comelec declared before dawn Saturday Lanao del Sur Vice Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr. as winner in the gubernatorial race in the province, the last to be proclaimed from among winning governor-wannabes in BARMM.

In an emailed statement, Adiong said he will do his best to increase by many folds his accomplishments when he was governor of Lanao del Sur for three consecutive terms prior to his election as vice governor in 2016.

“I am calling on my constituents to cooperate with me in serving the people of Lanao del Sur. Governance is not a sole obligation of the provincial government. It is something that we need to do as a team,” Adiong said.

The poll body proclaimed Thursday Congresswoman Nancy Catamco, a blue-blooded Menuvu, and Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu, as elected governors of North Cotabato and Maguindanao provinces, respectively.

Both provinces are home to Lumad, Christian and Muslim groups, stakeholders to the peace process of President Rodrigo Duterte with Moro secessionists now in peace with government and are helping address via governance the nagging community concerns in underdeveloped communities.

Catamco defeated a tough and a wealthy challenger, Mayor Roger Taliño of Carmen town.

Taliño is father of the now three-termer North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, who was elected vice governor of the province.

Sangki-Mangudadatu defeated a relative, Mayor Freddie Mangudadatu of Mangudadatu town in the second district of Maguidanao.

Her running mate, incumbent Maguindanao Vice Gov. Lester Sinsuat, was reelected to a third and last term.

Catamco told reporters her Muslim, Christian and Lumad constituents shall soon witness improvements in the delivery of government services to all four corners of North Cotabato

“Under my stewardship, there shall be consensus-building among Muslims, Christians and the indigenous communities in addressing peace, security and governance issues. I shall listen to them. I am not their superior. I am just their servant,” Catamco said.

Brig. Gen. Eliseo Rasco, director of PRO-12, said Saturday the conduct of the May 13 synchronized local and senatorial elections in areas under his jurisdiction were also peaceful.

PRO-12 covers the cities of Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal and General Santos and the provinces of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani.

“The conduct of the 2019 elections in Region 12 were much more peaceful if statistics on election-related incidents are compared with those that PRO-12 recorded during the election periods in 2013 and in 2016,” Rasco said.