In the quiet hills of Mawab, Davao de Oro, soldiers from the 10th Infantry "Agila" Division were sent off this week to stand guard over the coming Bangsamoro parliamentary elections. Their numbers are modest, drawn from the 67th Infantry Battalion and a reconnaissance company, and they reinforce work already under way and the efforts of neighboring divisions. Their commander asked them to be more than guardians of the ballot box: to be impartial, disciplined, and faithful to the Constitution, because the public's trust in a vote depends as much on how the protectors behave as on the vote itsel
10th Infantry Division Deploys Additional Troops to Secure 2026 BARMM Parliamentary Elections
Freely, safely, and without fear
Mark
Start simple. What actually happened on Aug. 30?
Mimi
The 10th Infantry Division held a send-off at its headquarters in Mawab, Davao de Oro, for extra troops going to election security duty for the 2026 BARMM Parliamentary Elections. They come from the 67th Infantry Battalion and the 102nd Division Reconnaissance Company.
Mark
Are they going to work only under the 10th Division?
Mimi
Not only. They add to troops the division already deployed, and they also support the 6th and 11th Infantry Divisions in those divisions' own areas of responsibility.
Luke
Do we know how many soldiers that is?
Mimi
The report doesn't give a number.
Luke
Or where they're going, or the election date?
Mimi
Neither. Those are gaps, and I'd rather name them than guess.
Mark
So what is the commander's message?
Mimi
Maj. Gen. Alvin Luzon said securing the vote is about more than security. Conduct matters because it affects public confidence. He asked for discipline, professionalism, impartiality, and nonpartisanship.
Luke
Is that a response to any specific concern?
Mimi
The report doesn't say so. It presents it as instruction at a ceremony, not a reaction to an incident or complaint.
Mark
Then why does it matter?
Mimi
Because the Army's role is stated in terms of voters being able to cast ballots freely, safely, and without fear. The conduct standard is something people can measure the deployment against.
The Pulse
- Reinforcements from the 67th Infantry Battalion and 102nd Reconnaissance Company were dispatched on Aug. 30 to bolster election security across the region.
- Soldiers are being asked to hold a high standard of nonpartisanship at a moment when every act near a polling place can be read as political.
- The 10th Division is lending manpower to the 6th and 11th Infantry Divisions, knitting several commands into one parallel security effort.
- The deployment is headed toward a vote meant to be safe and orderly, with public confidence riding on whether the conduct standard holds.
In the quiet hills of Mawab, Davao de Oro, soldiers from the 10th Infantry "Agila" Division were sent off this week to stand guard over the coming Bangsamoro parliamentary elections. Their numbers are modest, drawn from the 67th Infantry Battalion and a reconnaissance company, and they reinforce work already under way and the efforts of neighboring divisions. Their commander asked them to be more than guardians of the ballot box: to be impartial, disciplined, and faithful to the Constitution, because the public's trust in a vote depends as much on how the protectors behave as on the vote itself.
On Aug. 30, at Camp General Manuel T. Yan Sr. in Barangay Tuboran, Mawab, the 10th Infantry "Agila" Division sent off soldiers to help secure the 2026 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Parliamentary Elections. The ceremony marked a stepped-up effort to prepare for a peaceful and orderly vote.
The troops come from the 67th Infantry "Agila" Battalion and the 102nd Division Reconnaissance Company. They are additional forces, meant to augment those already deployed. Their work is not confined to their own division: they will also support the election security operations of the 6th and 11th Infantry Divisions within their respective areas.
Division commander Maj. Gen. Alvin Luzon reminded the soldiers that their conduct matters as much as their presence. "The right to vote is a fundamental right of every Filipino," he said. "Our responsibility is to help ensure that every voter can exercise this right freely, safely, and without fear." He set out the expectations of discipline, professionalism, impartiality, and nonpartisanship, grounded in the Constitution, the rule of law, and the Army's mandate. "Our loyalty is to the Constitution, to the people, and to our mission."
The source does not say how many soldiers were sent, where they will be stationed, or when the election takes place. What is clear is their task and the standard they were given, and how closely that standard is kept will shape the public confidence Luzon hoped to protect.
On Aug. 30, at the headquarters of the Philippine Army's 10th Infantry "Agila" Division, soldiers were formally sent off to help secure the 2026 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Parliamentary Elections. The ceremony took place at Camp General Manuel T. Yan Sr. in Barangay Tuboran, Mawab, Davao de Oro.
The troops come from two units: the 67th Infantry "Agila" Battalion and the 102nd Division Reconnaissance Company. They are additional forces, meant to augment those the division has already deployed for election duty. The Army described the send-off as part of a stepped-up effort to prepare for a safe, peaceful, and orderly vote.
The reinforcements are not only for the 10th Division's own work. They will also support the election security operations of the 6th and 11th Infantry Divisions, each within its respective area of responsibility. The picture is of several Army divisions working in parallel, with the 10th lending extra manpower to the broader effort.
At the ceremony, the 10th Infantry Division commander, Maj. Gen. Alvin Luzon, told the soldiers that their task goes beyond providing security. He said how they conduct themselves will also help preserve public confidence in the electoral process.
"The right to vote is a fundamental right of every Filipino," Luzon said. "Our responsibility is to help ensure that every voter can exercise this right freely, safely, and without fear."
He then set out the standard he expects of the deployed troops: discipline, professionalism, impartiality, and nonpartisanship. They are to act in line with the Constitution, the rule of law, and the Philippine Army's mandate. "Our loyalty is to the Constitution, to the people, and to our mission," he said.
The source does not say how many soldiers were sent, where exactly they will be stationed, or when the election is scheduled. What it does establish is who is going, what units they will support, and what their commander has told them about conduct. How closely that standard is kept during the vote will bear on the public confidence Luzon spoke of.
Notable Quotes
Our loyalty is to the Constitution, to the people, and to our mission.— Maj. Gen. Alvin Luzon, 10th Infantry Division commander
The right to vote is a fundamental right of every Filipino.— Maj. Gen. Alvin Luzon
Want the full story?
Read the original at SunStar Philippines ↗
Business