SECURITY measures are in place in time for the start this Friday of the campaign period for local candidates in the May elections, the PNP said yesterday.
PNP spokeswoman Col. Jean Fajardo also said PNP chief Dionardo Carlos has ordered regional police directors to form special operations task groups in areas considered as election hotspots.
“The security coverage, standard security package of the PNP is already in place in relation to election-related activities,” Fajardo told a press briefing in Camp Crame yesterday afternoon.
Fajardo said they began planning security measures for national and local campaigning even before the start of the election period last January 9. National candidates began campaigning last February 8.
Fajardo said the PNP expects campaign sorties nationwide to be more intense once local candidates start campaigning.
“We know the competition is more intense at the local level so the PNP will be making adjustments in terms of the deployment,” Fajardo said, adding Carlos met with regional and provincial directors last Monday “to give specific instructions to make sure that the campaign sorties of the local candidates will be peaceful.”
She also said Carlos instructed regional directors “to create regional special operation task force in areas with election watchlist and concerns, particularly those with previous record of political violence, presence of partisan groups and intense political rivalries.”
“These (election watchlist) are the concentration of the PNP deployment,” said Fajardo, referring to election hotspots.
Fajardo declined to say how many areas are considered election concerns but added the list was submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last month. She said it’s up to the Comelec to disclose these areas.
“That is the basis for the adjustment in terms of PNP deployment, in close coordination with our AFP counterpart,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo also urged local candidates to abide by laws, especially the election campaign guidelines set by the Comelec.
“We appeal to the candidates and to their supporters and organizers to coordinate and seek permit from regional campaign committees so the PNP and other security forces can provide appropriate security coverage during their election-related sorties,” said Fajardo.
The PNP said 2,003 persons have been arrested since the start of the implementation of the election gun ban last January 9, including 14 policemen and nine soldiers.
The PNP said 1,537 firearms and replicas, 8,537 ammunition, 82 explosives, and 645 bladed weapons were also seized during the period.
