“It is highly irregular and deeply concerning that active police officers are being assigned as members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs), especially in the Bangsamoro region, where elections have long been marred by fraud, coercion, and violence. This move militarizes what should be a civilian, non-partisan process and sends a chilling message to voters.
The presence of armed state agents inside polling precincts is never a guarantee of safety—it is intimidation. In a region where communities have experienced firsthand the abuses of militarization, this only reinforces the lack of genuine peace and democracy.
Worse, this practice conditions the public mindset into believing that military or police presence is always necessary in BARMM elections. It normalizes the use of force in democratic exercises, eroding trust in civilian processes and institutions. We cannot discount the possibility that this environment of coercion and fear may affect the outcome of the elections.
At a time when red-tagging is rampant and security forces have been implicated in harassment and threats against legitimate progressive voices, including party-list groups and voters, placing them in direct control of the voting process raises serious questions about the credibility of the elections.
This is not the path to clean, honest, and peaceful elections. This is control, not democracy.” #
