THE PNP will come up with additional guidelines to ensure that its “Oplan Katok” campaign against loose firearms will not be used to intimidate or harass voters during the election period.
“We’re expecting the Directorate for Operations to release the additional guidelines,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo told a press briefing at Camp Crame.
Fajardo said the additional guidelines will be issued to ensure that the initiative is properly implemented by policemen and will not be used for harassment and intimidation by scheming individuals or politicians during the election period for the May 12 polls.
Under Oplan Katok, policemen have been visiting the residences of gun holders who have failed to renew the registration of their firearms. The PNP has said that the main purpose of the campaign is to account unregistered firearms.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman George Garcia has expressed concern over the implementation of Oplan Katok, saying that this can be used to intimidate voters in the coming national and local elections. He has called for a dialogue with the PNP to discuss the matter.
“We are waiting for the additional guidelines to be issued by the Directorate for Operations,” said Fajardo, without saying exactly when the additional guidelines will be issued.
Fajardo said the implementation of Oplan Katok was among the issues discussed by PNP and Comelec officials during a meeting last Wednesday.
“As we have been saying, we just have to find a common ground to meet the requirements of Comelec with respect to the assurance of the PNP that the revitalized (Oplan) Katok is not abused,” she said.
Fajardo said the implementation of Oplan Katok is continuing, adding that through the program, 844 gun owners have renewed the registration of their firearms this year.
Meanwhile, Fajardo said the number of validated election-related incidents remained at one. The incident involved the tearing down of a tarpaulin of a candidate in Western Visayas.
She said the number of suspected ERIs was placed at three and subjected to continuing validation.
Fajardo said eight incidents, initially reported as suspected ERIs, were declared as not related to the elections.
“However, out of that eight non-ERIs, two are being reviewed, we’re subjecting them to revalidation to confirm whether or not they are indeed non-ERIs,” she said.
The two cases were recorded in Ilocos region and Soccsksargen.
