PNP: Security measures in place; 36K cops deployed

BY GERARD NAVAL and VICTOR REYES

EXPECT a fiesta-like atmosphere nationwide, with colorful shirts, massive tarpaulins, marching bands, and throngs of supporters expected to show their support to their respective political aspirants as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) open the eight-day period for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the May 2025 national and local polls.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajarrdo said some 36,000 policemen will be deployed throughout the country to ensure peace and order during the COC filing period.

Fajardo also said that starting last night, checkpoint operations have been intensified.

Elections chairman George Garcia said it’s “all systems go in the Comelec for the first day of the filing of COCs.”

Garcia said the Comelec has completed their preparations, especially at the Tent City of the Manila Hotel, where the COCs of senatorial aspirants and the Certificate of Nomination and Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination (CON-CAN) of party-list nominees will be received.

For those running for members of the House of Representatives, they are slated to file their COCs at the Office of the Regional Election Director (for National Capital Region), Office of Provincial Election Supervisor (for provincial legislative districts), and the Office of the Election Officer (for city legislative districts outside Metro Manila).

COCs will be filed in the Offices of Provincial Election Supervisors for those running for governors, vice governors, and provincial board members.

The Offices of the Election Officer, meanwhile, shall receive the COCs for candidates for mayors, vice mayors, and councilors.

Garcia urged aspirants to verify the actual COC filing venue in their respective areas.

“Check our website as we posted there all the venues where the COC filing will be held,” said Garcia.

Garcia said the poll body’s receipt of the COCs will be ministerial as they are not allowed to reject anybody.

“It is the ministerial duty of the Comelec to accept COCs. We have no choice or discretion but to accept the COCs as long as they are in the proper form and are duly accomplished,” he said.

He said, though, that it is a different issue in whether all COC filers will be allowed to run in the elections.

“It’s a different matter if they will be allowed to run because petitions to cancel COCs or deny due course to the candidacy can be filed against them,” said Garcia.

A total of 18,272 positions will be up for grabs in the forthcoming midterm polls.

This includes the seats for 12 senators, 63 party-list representatives, and 254 members of the House of Representatives.

Also up for grabs are seats for 82 governors, 82 vice governors, 800 members of Sangguniang Panlalawigan, 149 city mayors, 149 city vice mayors, 1,682 members of Sangguniang Panlungsod, 1,493 municipal mayors, 1,493 municipal vice mayors, and 11,948 members of Sangguniang Bayan.

“Easily, we can have 500,000 aspirants in the 2025 national and local and Bangsamoro parliamentary elections,” said Garcia.

The Comelec said any person holding a public appointive office or position shall be considered ipso facto resigned from his or her office once they have filed their COCs.

‘PREMATURE CAMPAIGNING’

Garcia said they expect acts that can be deemed as “premature campaigning” to dominate as political aspirants file their COCs between October 1 to 8 in designated sites nationwide.

“Since there is no (law against) premature campaigning, we can expect the fiesta atmosphere, street dancing, marching bands, concerts, feeding program, raising of hands, uniform colored shirts, (but) we cannot do anything about it,” said Garcia.

“Even if we don’t agree with it, let us remember that we respect and acknowledge the decision of the Supreme Court. Thus, that is what we will implement,” he said.

The poll chief, however, stressed that they will strictly implement the rule on the limited number of companions in the venues for the filing of COCs.

This, he said, means that candidates for senator will only be allowed four companions, while party-list groups are allowed to have their authorized representatives along with four companions.

“To the COC filers and their companions, don’t test us. There is limited space in the venue,” said Garcia, adding: “We want our COC filing to be orderly. Let us follow the rules. This is the appeal of the Comelec.”

SECURITY MEASURES

“We are deploying around 36,000 (policemen) distributed nationwide,” Fajardo told a press briefing at Camp Crame.

Fajardo said the PNP do not want a repeat of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre, which led to the death of nearly 60 people, mostly mediamen.

The victim’s convoy, including members of the Mangudadatu clan, was intercepted by henchmen of the Ampatuan clan while on the way to file their COC.

“That incident transpired during the filing of candidacy, their convoy was ambushed. That is what our chief PNP want to prevent,” said Fajardo, also saying: “So, we are going to put up border control, checkpoint operations to make sure people will not be going around with their firearms.”

Fajardo appealed to the candidates and their supporters to trust the electoral process and avoid resorting to violence.

“The PNP, in coordination with the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PCG (Philippine Coast Guard), will ensure that the elections next year will be peaceful, orderly and clean,” said Fajardo.