TACLOBAN CITY-Police in Eastern Visayas has declared as generally peaceful the first day of the campaign period for those seeking local positions.
Lt.Col. Ma. Bella Rentuaya, regional information officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said that they have not monitored any untoward incidents on Friday (March25), the first day of the 45-day campaign period for those seeking local posts relative to the May 9 elections.
“The first day of the campaign for local candidates was generally peaceful. There were no reports of any (untoward) incidents,” she said during a media forum “Point Corner’ held at the Pacific Point Events Pace and Resort, this city.
Rentuaya said that based on their record that since the start of the election period on January 9, 75 individuals have been arrested due to gun ban enforcement.
And of this number, 70 were civilians while the five others were barangay officials, she said. Also, 28 firearms and 52 deadly weapons were also confiscated by police during this period.
Rentuaya added that most of these civilians were arrested in checkpoints put up by the police, Army under the supervision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The police official said that they will make every possible measures to ensure that the conduct of balloting in Eastern Visayas, home to 3.1 million registered voters spread to its six provinces, will be orderly and peaceful.
Jenette Ruedas, the information office of the Comelec, said that they could not yet release the list of areas that could potentially be flashpoints points during the conduct of the election.
“Up to now, we are still doing validation of these areas of concern. But hopefully, we can release after the validation,” she said.
Past elections have indicated that most of the concerned areas in the region during elections are in Samar province.
The police, under the command of B/Gen. Bernard Banac, has earlier deployed 479 policemen on a ‘peace-keeping mission’ in Samar to ensure the balloting in the said province will be peaceful and orderly.
