SULU, Philippines — With the 2025 National and Local Elections fast approaching, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has ramped up maritime and coastal security operations across Sulu Province to ensure safe and orderly polls.
The Police Regional Office of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BAR) and the Regional Maritime Unit of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (RMU BAR) have been at the forefront of these intensified efforts, launching seaborne patrols, coastal security operations, and personnel transport missions across the province’s coastal municipalities and key maritime routes.
On April 18, RMU BAR deployed patrol units to monitor the waters surrounding Jolo, Parang, and the island municipalities of Tapul and Lugus. Police personnel from the Sulu Police Provincial Office’s Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC) were also transported and strategically stationed in Tapul to strengthen local security.
The following day, April 19, the unit expanded its operations to the coastal waters of Panglima Tahil and Pangutaran. During this deployment, sixteen PMFC personnel were ferried to Pangutaran to bolster election security preparations. Enhanced maritime patrols were likewise conducted in Siasi and Pandami on April 20.
Continuing the security push, another batch of sixteen personnel from the Regional Mobile Force Company 14-B was deployed to Banguingui on April 21. Simultaneously, seaborne and coastal patrols were carried out in Jolo, Patikul, Panamao, Luuk, and Banguingui to deter criminal activities and ensure a secure environment for the upcoming polls.
These proactive operations reflect the PNP’s commitment to safeguarding communities and upholding the credibility of the election process in Sulu and the wider Bangsamoro region.
Police Brigadier General Romeo J. Macapaz, Regional Director of PRO BAR, underscored the importance of inter-agency cooperation and sustained vigilance as key pillars in maintaining peace and order during the election season.
“All police units across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region are fully committed to intensifying security operations to ensure that the people can exercise their right to vote in a peaceful and secure environment,” Macapaz stated.
The PNP continues to reaffirm its dedication to protecting the democratic rights of every citizen in the Bangsamoro region as part of its broader mandate for the 2025 National and Local Elections.