Army official assures Cebuanos of peaceful elections

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 23, 2022): Army official assures Cebuanos of peaceful elections (By John Rey Saavedra)

Joint Task Group Cebu commander Col. Jerry Borja (left). (File photo by John Rey Saavedra)

The Joint Task Group (JTG) Cebu of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday said it is prepared to secure the province, particularly those areas with known political rivalry, and assured a peaceful campaign period and election on May 9.

Col. Jerry Borja, commander of JTG Cebu, said in an interview even before the start of the election season, the military in Cebu had started coordinating with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

“Since the commencement of the election period, we have in our data more than 435 activities,” Borja said, adding that most of their activities are jointly held with the police and the Comelec personnel such as road checkpoints and security patrols.

Cebu has been an insurgency-free province since 2010, but JTG Cebu is closely collaborating with other law enforcement agencies in monitoring and running after private armed groups (PAGs), he said, adding, however, he has not received any reports of its presence to date.

Despite the ongoing relief operations in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette, wherein personnel of JTG Cebu are helping in the packing, transportation and distribution activities, Borja said the elections remain the group’s priority.

He said the JTG Cebu’s coverage is the entire island.

Borja also pledged the military’s commitment to assist the PNP, being a deputized government instrumentality of the Comelec “with the exclusive purpose of ensuring peaceful, orderly, and credible election” by virtue of Memorandum Order No. 59 signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on Dec. 31, 2021.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1168364