AFP all set for Sulu elections; 3 towns closely watched as ‘areas of concern’
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur – The military in Sulu is keeping a close watch over three towns in the province for the May 9 national and local elections because of the towns’ history of election-related violence in the past, the Joint Task Force Sulu (JTFS) said.
Brig. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, JTFS commander, named the towns of Parang, Omar, and Lugus, or three of the province’s 19 towns, as areas of concern.
“We have deployed a number of troops in these areas,” Patrimonio said. “So far, (there was) no recorded election violence here, so, we are all systems go. We are expecting an orderly and peaceful election in the towns where candidates are running unopposed,” he added.
Of the 751 vote counting machines (VCM) dedicated to Sulu, only two have been found defective. “The replacement is already in transit, including the SD cards,” he assured.
In the 2019 elections, election-related violence erupted in Panglima Estino town, where Patrimonio said, “opposing parties engaged in shooting, resulting in several casualties.”
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