Isabela City, Basilan — In preparation for the upcoming 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE), the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) continues to strengthen its efforts to ensure a peaceful, secure, and credible electoral process across Mindanao.
On April 19, Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, Commander of WestMinCom, presided over the presentation of election security and contingency plans at the headquarters of the 101st Infantry Brigade in Barangay Tabiawan, Isabela City.
Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon, Commander of the 101st Brigade, presented the unit’s comprehensive security blueprint, designed to address potential threats and ensure prompt responses to election-related incidents in Basilan — the brigade’s primary area of responsibility.
As part of their preparations, the 101st Brigade has identified 11 Election Areas of Concern (EAC) within the province. These are classified into varying threat levels: one area marked yellow, eight classified as orange, and two designated as red. These classifications reflect past incidents of election-related violence and are now the focus of intensified security and monitoring efforts.
The event was also attended by Maj. Gen. Leonardo Peña, Commander of Joint Task Force (JTF) Orion, which has operational control over the 101st Brigade. Peña emphasized the need for contingency plans anchored on patterns of previous election-related incidents and the importance of deploying Quick Response Forces (QRFs) to immediately address emerging threats during the election period.
Lt. Gen. Nafarrete, addressing the troops, underscored the military’s vital role in upholding the integrity of the electoral process. “The elections are a vital part of our democracy. We must protect the process and ensure that our communities can vote in peace. We must stay focused, impartial, and fully prepared until the entire electoral process is complete,” he reminded the soldiers.
The briefing in Basilan is part of a series of visits led by Lt. Gen. Nafarrete as WestMinCom intensifies its election readiness campaign across the region. Earlier this month, he supervised similar reviews of security plans with Joint Task Force ZamPeLan at Kampo Ranao, Marawi City, and with JTF Central at Camp Siongco.
Further visits are scheduled in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, where security preparations will also be closely assessed to reinforce election security operations in the island provinces.
WestMinCom is also set to deploy additional forces across Central Mindanao, Lanao, and Basilan to strengthen security coverage in identified critical areas.
With the combined commitment of military units and continuous coordination among security forces, WestMinCom stands firm in its mission to safeguard the conduct of peaceful and orderly elections across Western and Central Mindanao.