MANILA, Philippines – Two weeks before the May 2013 elections, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) will start deploying 30,000 additional police officers to election hotspots and voting centers across the country.

In a press conference on Tuesday, April 30, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said 18,000 of those to be deployed are PNP personnel currently doing administrative jobs. The other 12,000 are police recruits in school or training centers. They will be recalled and partnered with full-pledged PNP officials on the field.

The added deployment is part of the PNP’s plan to ensure Secure and Fair Elections (SAFE 2013).

The PNP gave assurances the police will be coordinating with telecommunication companies and power plants to ensure transmission services are guarded and will work without a glitch on election day.

On election day, police officials will also be partnered with lawyers, who can provide assistance to them in terms of legal concerns. The PNP will have a 24/7 media center as well, in order to give media accurate updates related to elections starting on May 6.

“It is clear your government, your PNP, is here to ensure our elections are secure and fair,” Roxas said.

Decreased violence

The PNP also showed the positive impact of their efforts thus far.

Since the start of the election period, the PNP and the DILG targeted 15 priority provinces based on the presence of private armed groups (PAGs), intense political rivalry, criminal groups, loose firearms, and firearms with unrenewed licenses.

As a result of PNP’s checkpoints, joint security control centers, and house visitations, there has seen a decrease in the presence of armed groups from 112 in the 2010 elections to 48 this time around, a 57% reduction, said PNP spokesperson Chief Supt Generoso Cerbo.

House visitations through PNP’s “Oplan Katok” have also resulted in 91,135 renewed firearm licenses and 36,955 surrendered for safekeeping. An additional 22,045 are under process for renewal. As of June 2012, a total of 613,657 gun licenses were not renewed.

The PNP said election-related incidents have also dropped nationwide from 73 in the 2010 elections, to 49 this year.

The 15 priority provinces of the DILG are Abra, Pangasinan, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Cagayan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Batangas, Cavite, Masbate, Samar, Misamis Oriental, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and Basilan. – Rappler.com