Camp Navarro, Calarian, Zamboanga City, May 9, 2022 - Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario, Jr., Commander of Western Mindanao Command, together with Brig. Gen. Arturo Rojas, Deputy Commander for External Operations, and the Command Staff Officers personally monitored the election process in WestMinCom’s area of operation on Monday, May 9, 2022.

The WestMinCom officers gathered at the Election Monitoring Action Center (EMAC) located at the Operations Building of the command at Camp Navarro, Calarian, this city.

The EMAC was established a week prior the Election Day. It is composed of military and police personnel who closely coordinate with each other and with their respective subordinate units to provide real-time situational updates on the ongoing election process. EMACs were also established at the headquarters of all the Joint Task Forces under WestMinCom.

Lt. Gen. Rosario said, “We are tasked to ensure a free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible National and Local Elections 2022 hence we are utilizing all our inherent capabilities to achieve it. Our personnel on the ground are working doubly to safeguard the sanctity of the election.”

Checkpoints were established and troops were deployed to perform security duties in the different polling centers. Before Election Day, troops provided security assistance during the transportation and inspection of the Vote Counting Machines (VCM).

Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Rosario, Jr. reported that there were election-related incidents that transpired within the WestMinCom AO. “There were incidents reported earlier but those were just isolated cases. Together with our partners from the police and other security agencies we assure you that we are on top of the situation. Despite the reported violent incidents, our joint forces were able to respond swiftly and appropriately address so that the election process was not hampered in those concerned areas,” Lt. Gen. Rosario, Jr. said.

“The Western Mindanao Command through all of its Joint Task Forces firmly aspires for the peaceful and successful conduct of the National and Local Elections. We have already done it before and we hope to do it again.”

“During the preparations, we have already identified the gaps and have addressed them accordingly through the series of conferences. These allowed us to instill necessary measures and initiatives to ensure the success of the election. The Western Mindanao Command ensures that there will be no election failure and the election paraphernalia, election committee, and electorates are safe and secured,” the WestMinCom Commander added. (PR-WESMINCOM)