Remulla: Every cop will be accountable should violence occur during BARMM polls

PARANG, Maguindanao del Norte — Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Wednesday said every police officer will be held accountable should violence occurred during the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Remulla made the statement during the Final Command Conference for the BARMM elections in Parang, Maguinadanao del Norte, saying that the recent ambush involving BARMM Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof “Sammy Gambar” Macacua will not happen again.

"Hindi na mangyayari yun. I will have each and every police officer here accountable, that in any violence happens in this coming elections, he will be accountable to me and the Chief (Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr.). Peace must prevail, that goes with the (Armed Forces of the Philippines). We must be stalwarts of peace," Remulla said.

On August 15, Macacua and his entourage escaped unharmed after armed assailants ambushed their convoy in Datu Odin Sinsuat.

Macacua was traveling from his hometown in Barangay Gambar, Mother Kabuntalan, when the incident occurred.

Speaking to the media, Remulla said the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have sworn to abide by the Philippine law and respect the BARMM polls.

"All camps (MILF and Philippine troops) have sworn to abide by the laws of the Philippines, the laws of the land. And they will respect the elections and we will come back here to make sure na yan ang mangyayari," he said.

Meanwhile, the government is 98% ready to conduct the BARMM polls.

"Konting-konti na lang. Fine tuning na lang (We are just fine tuning now). We will make sure that nothing happens again," Remulla said.

According to Remulla, additional 5,000 police officers will be deployed on September 14, the day of the BARMM elections.

Meanwhile, Nartatez told the media at least 10,000 police officers will be deployed on the election day. — BAP, GMA News