Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 8) — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it will be sending out 69,705 soldiers to help secure the polls on Monday.
AFP spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala said some troops have already been deployed to places tagged as areas of concern and to Commission on Elections (Comelec) hotspots. He said they are all set for election day.
“Of course, we are prepared for (contingencies) just in case, so it’s important that all our command centers at all (levels) should be able to communicate to us any eventuality so that we can respond,” Zagala told reporters on Sunday. “We believe that (because) of all the preparations that we’ve made we are confident that it will be peaceful.”
Zagala said the deployment will focus on areas under the red category and those under Comelec control, as well as some in the orange category.
The Philippine National Police earlier classified 105 towns and 15 cities as areas of concern.
