SULU and TAWI-TAWI — April 24, 2025 — In a bid to ensure a peaceful, secure, and credible electoral process in the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) through the Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) conducted a series of high-level conferences this week in the provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi to review security and contingency plans.
WestMinCom Commander Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete led the sessions, reaffirming the military’s commitment to protecting democracy through coordinated, proactive planning and deployment.
On April 23, Lt. Gen. Nafarrete assessed the election preparedness of Joint Task Force (JTF) Orion in a command conference held at the 1102nd Infantry Brigade (1102Bde) Headquarters in Camp AKA, Barangay Bual, Luuk, Sulu. The conference was presided over by Major General Leonardo Peña, Commander of the 11th Infantry Division and JTF Orion. It was attended by commanders of the 1101st, 1102nd, and 1103rd Infantry Brigades.
Discussions centered on election-related deployment strategies, contingency operations, and logistics for island municipalities. Among the challenges raised were limited sea transport assets, weak communication signals, and lack of electricity in remote polling centers.
Maintaining operational momentum, Lt. Gen. Nafarrete conducted another planning session on April 24 at the 2nd Marine Brigade (2MBde) Headquarters in Barangay Sanga-Sanga, Tawi-Tawi, with Joint Task Force (JTF) Poseidon. The session was led by Rear Adm. Francisco Tagamolila Jr., Commander of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao and JTF Poseidon, and attended by key officers from Joint Task Groups Atlas, Triton, and Pegasus.
The Tawi-Tawi conference emphasized the strategic importance of securing land and maritime routes to facilitate safe and accessible voting in island communities. It also tackled coordination with civilian agencies to augment transport and logistical support.
Lt. Gen. Nafarrete underscored the importance of proactive, scenario-based planning to identify security gaps and deploy timely solutions. He ordered the positioning of Quick Response Forces (QRFs) to ensure adequate personnel coverage and urged unit commanders to draw lessons from past elections to anticipate possible threats.
He also called for close collaboration with local government units (LGUs) and partner agencies such as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and local disaster risk reduction and management offices (DRRMOs) to secure critical assets for election logistics, especially in geographically isolated areas.
“Security and contingency plans must remain flexible and comprehensive,” Nafarrete said. “Preparedness, vigilance, and interagency collaboration are essential in securing the democratic process.”
The Sulu and Tawi-Tawi meetings follow earlier security briefings held in Cotabato City with JTF Central on April 10, in Marawi City with JTF ZamPeLan on April 14, and in Basilan with the 101st Infantry Brigade on April 19. In all engagements, Lt. Gen. Nafarrete consistently reminded troops to remain professional, apolitical, and non-partisan during the election period.
These series of conferences reflect WestMinCom’s broader and sustained efforts to strengthen its security posture across Western Mindanao, as the region braces for the critical 2025 electoral exercise.