3 Army battalions to guard plebiscite for creation of 8 Bangsamoro towns

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Army will deploy three battalions of soldiers to help ensure a peaceful conduct of the April 13,2024 plebiscite for the creation of eight municipalities covering 63 Bangsamoro barangays in different towns in Cotabato province.

Major Gen. Alex Rillera, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, told reporters during a press briefing on Friday that they shall mobilize the personnel of the 90th, 34th and 6th Infantry Battalions to help the Commission on Elections facilitate the plebiscite.

The April 13 exercise is a requisite for the creation of the eight towns in the 63 barangays, together grouped now as the Special Geographic Area, or SGA, whose residents voted in favor of the inclusion of their barangays in the core territory of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao during a referendum in February 2019.

“While there is no threat to the safety of the April 13 plebiscite in these areas, we want to show to local residents that the 6th ID is all out in supporting the Mindanao peace process between the national government and Mindanao’s Moro communities, aiming to promote progress in BARMM via governance,” Rillera said.

The setting up of the eight municipalities, meant to maximize delivery of local government services to villagers, is premised on enabling measures drafted by BARMM’s 80-member interim parliament. The BARMM lawmaking body has named Pahamudin, Kadayangan, Nabalawag, Old Kaabacan, Kapalawan, Malidegao, Tugunan and Ligawasan the eight municipalities it wants to establish in Cotabato province.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia, Region 12 police director Brig. Gen. Jimili Macaraeg and Rillera together announced the schedule of the plebiscite during an initial security dialogue related to it early this week at the headquarters of the Police Regional Office-12 in Barangay Tambler in General Santos City.

Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño Mendoza and Congresswoman Samantha Santos of the first district Cotabato on Saturday separately promised to provide the Comelec, the PRO-12 and the 6th ID with essential support in facilitating the plebiscite.

“These 63 barangays are no longer under our provincial government but the mayors under me and our provincial government have not stopped from extending to them services that they need,” Mendoza said.

Mendoza, chairperson of the Regional Development Council-12, said the socio-economic growth of the 63 Bangsamoro barangays will have a “radioactive effect” on the trading centers of nearby Cotabato municipalities.

“Most importantly, this is all about the Mindanao peace process that me and the mayors under me are patronizing extensively,” Mendoza, a known supporter of Malacañang's peace overtures with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Front, told reporters on Saturday morning.