Philippines' army ready for election

The Armed Forces of the Philippines ( AFP) is prepared to ensure that the country will have a peaceful election on Monday.

Brig. Gen. Francisco Cruz, commander of the military's Civil Relations Service, said on Thursday that the team is fully prepared for the May 10 polls and advises the public to refrain from resorting to violent activities.

The holding of protest actions on perceived election-related issues is permissible as long as these will not cause chaos, he said.

"The job of the military is to prevent violence. Protest actions are authorized but they should not result in violence otherwise the police will come in and we will support the police," Cruz said.

Furthermore, the military has been placed at the full disposal of the Commission on Elections to help the latter achieve an honest, orderly and peaceful elections, Defense Secretary Noberto Gonzales said.

Cruz said the AFP is currently deploying more forces in areas that have a history of election-related violence such as the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao.

But while the military will be in full alert on Monday, it will not intervene nor attempt to take over the government if a problem arises, Cruz said.

"We are praying that the Comelec succeeds. Everybody must pray that the Comelec succeeds because the ball is now in their hands. We are hoping for a credible election," he said.

The military has been on Red Alert since April 30 so that troops can provide the necessary security for the elections including the transportation of election paraphernalia.

Source: Xinhua