Soldiers of the 67th Infantry Battalion and the 102nd Division Reconnaissance Company salute during a send-off ceremony led by Maj. Gen. Alvin Luzon, commander of the 10th Infantry Division, on Sunday, Aug. 30. The troops were deployed to augment security operations for the 2026 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliamentary elections. (Photo courtesy of 10IDPAO-PA)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — With the Sept. 14 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections drawing near, the Army’s 10th Infantry Division (10ID) deployed augmentation troops on Sunday to help secure the historic polls and preserve public confidence in the vote.
Maj. Ruben Gadut, chief of the 10ID’s Division Public Affairs Office (DPAO), said the division deployed soldiers from the 67th Infantry Battalion and the 102nd Division Reconnaissance Company following a send-off ceremony at Camp Gen. Manuel Yan Sr. in Barangay Tuboran, Mawab, Davao de Oro.
“The newly deployed units will bolster troops already on the ground, working alongside the 6th and 11th Infantry Divisions across their respective operational areas to ensure a peaceful and orderly electoral process,” Gadut said.
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Gadut said some 395 soldiers from the 10ID were deployed to the Bangsamoro region for the elections.
“They will augment existing troops in the island-province of Basilan and Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao del Sur,” he told the Inquirer.
Addressing the departing troops, 10ID commander Maj. Gen. Alvin Luzon pointed out the critical nature of their assignment, framing election duty as a direct defense of democratic rights.
“The right to vote is a fundamental right of every Filipino. Our responsibility is to help ensure that every voter can exercise this right freely, safely, and without fear,” Luzon said in a statement.
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Luzon ordered the soldiers to maintain strict discipline, professionalism and nonpartisanship, emphasizing full adherence to the Constitution, the rule of law, and the mandate of the armed forces.
“Our loyalty is to the Constitution, to the people, and to our mission,” he added. /mcm
