The Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Thursday signed an agreement with the Commission on Elections to ensure peaceful and orderly barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections nationwide on 30 October.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. signed the pact with Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia at the DND headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. The signing was also witnessed by AFP Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. and Comelec Commissioner Ernesto Ferdinand Maceda Jr., who is in charge of the Committee on Kontra Bigay.
The Committee on Kontra Bigay aims to combat the “deplorable practice of vote buying”, which Teodoro said continues to pollute the country’s democracy.
“Ang tao, naiimpluwensyahan ng mga bagay na hindi kanais-nais. Kaya po ang fault niyan ay nasa namimigay,” he said.
On the other hand, Brawner signed a separate memorandum of understanding with Garcia allowing Comelec to deputize AFP personnel to ensure free, orderly and peaceful barangay elections.
At the sidelines of the MOA signing, the Comelec handed over a check to AFP amounting to P40 million in support of the military’s administrative, operational and logistical needs “as they perform their functions relative to the upcoming BSK elections.”