Western Mindanao Command chief Maj. Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara — Photo from WestMinCom
PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur — The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) reiterated its commitment to uphold the Bangsamoro peace process while firmly asserting its authority to enforce election security, following recent concerns over military movements near Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) areas.
In a statement on Tuesday, WestMinCom commander Maj. Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara said that while the military respects long-standing peace mechanisms, “no unilateral declaration” can restrict government forces from fulfilling their lawful duties.
“Any unilateral declaration placing MILF communities ‘off-limits’ to government security forces does not supersede the lawful mandate of the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP), nor the mutually agreed arrangements governing election security,” Cagara said.
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Cagara cited Paragraph IV(C) of the Guidelines for Mutual Understanding between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF, which explicitly guarantees the unhindered movement of Commission on Elections (Comelec) personnel, election materials, voters, and deputized AFP and PNP security units in polling centers located within MILF communities.
The WestMinCom chief emphasized that the military continues to coordinate closely with the MILF leadership and peace process stakeholders to address operational issues and prevent misunderstandings, particularly during critical election periods.
“WestMinCom respects the existing Guidelines for Mutual Understanding between the GPH and the MILF… Concerns arising from such activities should continue to be addressed through the established coordination mechanisms to prevent misunderstandings from affecting the gains of the peace process,” he added.
Addressing local concerns, Cagara assured civilian communities and MILF members that security deployments would be executed with care to avoid unnecessary alarm or tension, balancing rigorous election enforcement with sensitivity to the fragile peace landscape in Western Mindanao. /das
