Army unit’s ‘loudspeaker ops’ enjoin Maguindanao residents to vote
Local News • 23:00 PM Thu May 9, 2019
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
SAY IT LOUD. Using a public address system, Army Lieutenant Colonel Elmer Boongaling, 33rd Infantry Battalion chief, calls out to people of General Salipada K. Pendatun town of Maguindanao to come out and vote on May 13, 2019. (33rd IB photo)
TACURONG CITY -- An Army battalion commander has kept himself busy reaching out to locals in nearby Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun town of Maguindanao to go out and vote for the May 13 polls.
Lt. Col. Elmer Boongaling, the commander of 33rd Infantry Battalion (IB), had hopped from one village to another on Wednesday in his personal campaign to help voters exercise their rights of suffrage.
“This is one way of ensuring peaceful, orderly and credible elections on Monday,” Boongaling said in an interview by reporters here Thursday.
The town of Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun is situated some 20 kilometers north of here.
Bringing along his subordinates and onboard a KM-53 military truck, Boongaling moved from one village to another conducting a dialogue with residents.
The Army official dubbed the activity as “loudspeaker operation” as he brought with him a public address system.
“We visited three villages on Wednesday and more villages are in our schedule until Saturday this week,” he said.
In attendance in his “loudspeaker operation” on Wednesday were elders, community leaders, and religious leaders.
“This activity aims to inform the public, particularly the registered voters, to participate and exercise their right to vote,” Boongaling said in a statement.
He also promoted a campaign by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) of “Pila, Pasok, Boto, Uwi” procedure for a swift and orderly conduct of the polls.
Boongaling has assured the public that the military will remain apolitical and will perform its mandated duty to secure and protect the election process in order to achieve orderly and peaceful midterm elections.