Manila, July 22 -- Newly appointed Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Antonio Nafarrete said his first directive from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is to ensure the security of the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections on Sept. 14.

"The immediate order is we are preparing for the BARMM elections. That's one major security operation," Nafarrete told reporters in an interview Tuesday.

He said securing the historic polls is a top priority, being the first parliamentary elections since the creation of the BARMM.

Nafarrete declined to provide details of the security preparations.

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