Relative to the May 13,2019 elections
CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte – A police official here in the region said that they will remain to be nonpartisan and will never allow their organization to be used by candidates running in this year’s midterm elections.
The Philippine National Police(PNP), under the leadership of Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos, has initiated a unity peace and covenant signing among candidates last Sunday(June 13).
Police Senior Superintendent Ariel Arcinas, acting-regional director for administration of the PNP-8, said that by having the unity walk and peace signing covenant, they have high hopes that the conduct of the balloting across the region would be peaceful and orderly.
“The PNP is always committed to ensure a safe and secure election. We will remain nonpartisan and objective. We are doing this to guide candidates and for them to help us in ensuring a safe and secured election,” Arcinas said.
“Any violation will be dealt accordingly. We are after the rule of law particularly the respect of human rights, we will always abide of the guidelines that is in favor of humanity,” he added.
The PNP in the region, he said, would always act in accordance to the guidelines set by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) relative to the May 13 elections.
On Sunday, which marked the start of the election period, the PNP put up checkpoints in strategic areas and start of the gun ban as one of the measures in ensuring the forthcoming balloting will become orderly and violence-free.
Here in the region, the PNP has yet to identify possible areas considered as flashpoints relative to the elections, Arcinas said.
He said that they are still conducting their validation and assessment on the peace and order situation of each area in the region before they could come up with the list of concerned areas.
“As soon as the validation is completed and we satisfy the national headquarters on the requirements of the validation and we are given the go signal to make the list available to public, then will inform you,” Arcinas said during a press conference held here Monday (Jan.14).
Meantime, one candidate was provided with his request for security protection, Supt. Fergen Torred, chief of the police security and protection.
Torred decline to identify the said candidate.
Qualified candidates who will request for police escorts can be provided with two security personnel provided they comply with the requirements set by the Comelec which includes assessment to determine if there is indeed a threat on their security and lives.
Candidates may also employ the services of additional escorts from private security at their own expense.
“Currently all protective securities had been recalled because they need to have authorization from the Comelec,” Torred said.
By: Roel T. Amazona
