MANILA, Philippines -- Around 3,000 policemen will be deployed to secure the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in next month’s regional elections, according to the spokesman of the Commission on Elections.

In an interview with reporters last Friday, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the commission and its private partners in the first fully automated elections in the country, were not worried about the spate of kidnappings in the region.

“Our private contractors are not worried. They are taking it in stride,” he said.

The Comelec is partnering with two private firms, Smartmatic-Sahi and Avante Technologies, to conduct automated elections.

With less than a month before the precincts open on August 11, the contractors have been travelling all over the region to set up the infrastructure for the automated elections.

The Comelec official noted that there would be enough security for the contractors and the election officials from other provinces who would come in to help in the ARMM polls.

Aside from the 3,000 cops, the Comelec also had the option to enlist the help of the military in the region, Jimenez said.

Recently, several employees of private firms have been kidnapped by extremists groups. Last June, a television crew and a professor on an assignment were kidnapped in Sulu and held hostage for two weeks. This was followed by the abduction of five employees of Basilan Electric Co. in Tuburan, Basilan. They were released last week.