Region 13 Barangay, SK polls was Mindanao’s most peaceful

COTABATO CITY — The police on Thursday thanked the local executives in Region 13 for helping ensure peaceful and credible elections in their areas last Monday, touted as the "most peaceful" in the entire Mindanao.

Police Brig. Gen. Kirby John Kraft, director of the Police Regional Office-13, told reporters on Thursday that credit for the feat has to go to all mayors and governors in Region 13 for having supported extensively the joint security missions of the police and the military during Monday’s synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

PRO-13 covers the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands under provincial governors Angelica Rosedell Amante, Santiago Cane, Jr, Alexander Pimentel, Robert Lyndon Barbers and Nilo Demerey, Jr., respectively.

The region's five provinces, grouped together as the Caraga area, is covered by the military's Eastern Mindanao Command.

The five governors in Region 13 are also chairpersons of the multi-sector, inter-agency provincial peace and order councils in their provinces.

“Me and all my subordinates in our regional office and in the field and all non-uniformed personnel under units of PRO-13 are thankful to these governors and their constituent-mayors for helping maintain law and order in polling centers last Monday,” Kraft said.

Region 13 local officials were quoted in radio reports in central Mindanao on Thursday as saying that while there were isolated cases of altercations among contending camps with favored candidates,  none turned violent and deadly as what had happened in certain Bangsamoro towns and in parts of Region 10 and Region 12 owing to the prompt intercession of teachers, police personnel and soldiers assigned in polling sites.

“We also appreciate the contributions to our election security efforts last Monday of the leaders of the indigenous tribes and different religious groups in Region 13,” Kraft said.