12,000 troops, cops tapped to secure poll centers in Central Visayas

CEBU, Philippines – More than 12,000 personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will be assigned near voting centers in Central Visayas for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, spokesperson of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO 7), said in a press conference on Wednesday, October 18, that they would rely on the AFP and PCG to beef up the security of far flung areas in the region.

Pelare added that the security personnel would be deployed starting October 25. 

Throughout Central Visayas, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has prepared a total of 2,956 voting centers in 3,003 barangays. This includes 1,074 voting centers in Bohol, 1,202 voting centers in Cebu, 548 voting centers in Negros Oriental, and 132 voting centers in Siquijor

Ivan Delos Santos, administrative officer of Comelec Central Visayas, said in the same press conference that preparations for the upcoming elections, which include the training of teachers in voting centers and establishment of security hubs or police centers, are “nearly complete at 90%”.

“There is an ongoing meeting in the regional office. As far as voting centers are concerned, we can assure there will be police officers, AFP personnel and coast guards who will be manning these centers,” Pelare said.

Security considerations

The official start of the campaign begins on October 19 and ends on October 28.

Pelare said that with the election scheduled close to the celebration of All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day on November 1 and 2, respectively, police have set their sights on possible convergence sites like cemeteries, tourist sites and malls.

Police believe that the long weekend will invite a huge influx of voters and travelers from urbanized cities to provinces. 

Pelare added that the police are also conscious of the identified “areas of concern” in the region. 

“These places have some consideration because of some intense political rivalry, there were recorded election related incidents there before but we are just trying to be proactive,” he said in a mix of English and Cebuano.

Based on Comelec’s official list, there are at least 26 areas in Negros Oriental and 9 in Bohol that are labeled under the “Orange” category or as places of immediate concern. 

Areas in the region labeled under the “Yellow” category or as areas of concern include Barangay Cabalayongan in Basay, Negros Oriental, South Poblacion and Magsico in San Fernando, Cebu, Barangay Dait Norte in Buenavista, Bohol, Barangay Tugas in Candijay, Bohol, and Barangay Pangpang in Ubay, Bohol. 

Lionel Marco Castillano, Comelec Central Visayas regional director, said in a text message to Rappler on Wednesday that police were tasked with identifying the areas of concern.

Pelare urged the public to avoid leaving their homes unguarded when going out to vote and to prepare for possible cases of traffic congestion and accidents that may happen in the region on election day on October 30.

As of this writing, police have set up 13,006 Comelec checkpoints in Central Visayas. – Rappler.com