Relative to the barangay and SK elections
TACLOBAN CITY – A top official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has issued an appeal to voters of the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan(SK) elections to vote for the ‘right and best’ leaders in order to help solve some ills of the country.
Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, the police deputy chief for administration, also called on the villagers to ensure that the October 30 barangay and SK balloting will be peaceful, credible, and orderly.
“We need the help of the whole government spectrum for us to be able to have an honest, credible, and safe elections,” he said on Tuesday (Sept. 12).
“This is the best time for all of us, the problem with illegal drugs, the problem with insurgency, bakit po nandyan ang mga problema natin, hindi pa rin nawawala, nagsisimula po iyan lahat sa baba, barangay level. Karamihan po diyan nagsisimula sa barangay level,” he added.
Sermonia, who visited the regional PNP headquarters at Camp Ruperto Kangleon, Palo, Leyte as he served as the guest speaker during the 122nd service anniversary of the PNP-8, assured the villagers that the police force is always ready to assist them in addressing crime incidents particularly involving illegal drugs problem, even the insurgency.
Based on the record of the regional office of the Commission on Elections, about 8, 915 individuals filed their certificates of candidacy for barangay chairman and 24, 422 for barangay council while 8, 456 filed CoC for SK chairman and 46, 364 for SK Council.
Meantime, Brig. Gen. Vincent Calanoga, police regional director, assured continuing police presence and strict enforcement of the election gun ban until November 29.
Calanoga made this assertion in the wake of shooting incidents in Leyte, Leyte and Calbayog City involving barangay officials.
The police official said that they will strictly monitor these two areas due to intense political rivalry.
Calanoga said that additional police forces were deployed in those areas to avoid similar incidents and also created a task group to solve the cases of shooting incidents and identify the perpetrators.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
