PNP beefs up deployment for BARMM polls to over 9,800 cops
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) increased its deployment to 9,821 police officers for security measures during the upcoming Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections.
This was up from the 9,435 police officers the PNP previously said it was deploying.
In a statement on Wednesday, the PNP said the Police Regional Office (PRO) BARMM deployed 4,361 personnel, while other PROs deployed 2,430.
The law enforcement agency also said its Special Action Force deployed 830 officers; its Maritime Group deployed 250; the Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Canine Group deployed 146; and the Highway Patrol Group deployed 50.
READ: PNP: BARMM polls ‘under control’ despite watchdog concerns of violence
Meanwhile, 1,754 of the PNP’s personnel were trained and deployed to serve on the Special Electoral Board (SEB), which is tapped when the commission’s personnel and local teachers could not oversee the polls.
Apart from the SEB, the national police force noted that 4,313 of the deployed personnel will be stationed at voting centers across BARMM, while 856 will man checkpoints, 218 will monitor local treasurers’ offices, and 208 will secure local Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices.
Further, the PNP detailed that 2,120 officers were deployed to stand by as quick reaction forces, and 352 as civil disturbance management.
“Our personnel are deployed not only to secure election areas, but to help create an environment where people can exercise their right to vote freely, peacefully, and without intimidation,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in the statement.
“Ang bawat botante ay dapat makaboto nang ligtas at malaya. Makipagtulungan tayo at agad ireport ang anumang kahina-hinalang gawain sa mga awtoridad,” he added.
(Each voter should be able to vote safely and freely. Let us work together and report whatever suspicious activities we see to the authorities.)
Some 2.393 million registered voters are expected to troop to 5,212 voting precincts across BARMM to fill 78 seats in the autonomous region’s parliament this coming Monday, Sept. 14. /mcm
