AFP Deploys Over 4,000 Troops for Visayas Elections

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By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), through Joint Task Force (JTF) Spear, has committed more than 4,000 personnel for election deployment in the Visayas area.

Most of the deployed personnel will come from the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID).

Colonel Erwin Rommel Lamzon, chief of the Army’s 3rd Division Public Affairs Office (DPAO), said the 3ID will deploy close to 4,000 soldiers.

The Philippine Navy’s Naval Forces Central will also deploy a significant number of sailors.

In addition, the Philippine Air Force’s Tactical Operations Wing Central has sent airmen to augment election security preparations for the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE).

Lamzon said JTF Spear will also deploy 91 mobility assets across Western and Central Visayas and the Negros Island Region (NIR).

In Western Visayas, JTF Spear, through the 301st Infantry Brigade based at Camp Hernandez in Dingle, Iloilo, along with its line battalions—the 61st, 82nd, and 12th Infantry Battalions—and the 3rd Civil-Military Operations (CMO) Battalion, deployed 1,126 troops and 48 mobility assets on Tuesday, May 6.

An additional 274 personnel and one mobility asset were dispatched by the 3ID Headquarters to various parts of the region.

In Negros Occidental, the 303rd Infantry Brigade based at Camp Gerona in Murcia, along with its battalions—the 62nd, 79th, and 15th Infantry Battalions—deployed 1,035 personnel.

The 302nd Infantry Brigade, stationed at Camp Leon Kilat in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental, and its battalions—the 47th, 94th, and 11th Infantry—deployed at least 1,487 troops to NIR and parts of Central Visayas.

These brigades also sent a total of 42 mobility assets to their designated areas.

Before deployment, troops received orientation on NLE 2025, focusing on nonpartisanship, maintenance of peace and order, and compliance with election laws and regulations.

The briefing also included deployment guidelines and coordination protocols with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and other government agencies.

Troops also underwent training in contingency planning, crowd control, and legal orientation to prepare for deployment across strategic areas in the Visayas and NIR.

“We are making comprehensive pre-deployment preparations to ensure our soldiers effectively perform their election duties,” said Major General Michael Samson, JTF Spear commander.

He said these responsibilities include securing voters, Board of Election Inspectors, and Comelec personnel, as well as safeguarding voting precincts.

“Our goal is to guarantee that the people of Western and Central Visayas and NIR can safely and freely exercise their right to suffrage and to ensure a fair, safe, honest, and credible NLE 2025,” he added.

Samson also urged public cooperation with law enforcement to ensure a smooth and peaceful electoral process.

“A fair, safe, honest, and credible NLE 2025 requires the collective effort of all citizens, not just our government forces,” he said.

Lamzon stressed the public’s vital role in voting conscientiously, rejecting vote-buying, and reporting any election violations to authorities.