Soldiers should not be used for poll duties — DND

In an attempt to shield the military from partisan politics, the Department of National Defense (DND) has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) not to deputize military personnel for election duties.

In a draft bill submitted by Defense Sec. Avelino Cruz Jr. to Malacañang, the proposal also called on Comelec to refrain from counting election results inside military camps in the so-called election hotspots.

Under the present setup, Comelec has the authority to deputize the military and police for election duties and conduct the counting of votes inside military camps for security reasons.

The DND, however, proposed to do away with the election duties in the attempt to shield the military from partisan political activities.

The proposal was crafted as part of the Philippine Defense Reform (PDR) program to professionalize the Armed Forces, as one major step to depoliticize the already highly politicized military.

A top defense official said soldiers deputized by the Comelec for election duties are always at the mercy of politicians, particularly in remote areas.

This is the reason why the DND has made the proposal – to prevent a repeat of the "Hello, Garci" wiretap controversy where several ranking military officers were implicated in the alleged plan to rig the election results in favor of President Arroyo.

While Comelec-accredited personnel supervise election activities in peaceful areas, soldiers perform the same duties in high-risk areas.