THE Philippine National Police (PNP) has ordered the cancellation of all in-house training and other forms of schooling for policemen to maximize the deployment of its personnel for election duties as the campaign period for senatorial and party-list groups starts.
PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said that the cancellation of the schoolings is a standard protocol during campaign period in order to ensure the availability of all policemen to render election duties.
“Those who are in schooling will be asked to return to duty. They will be deployed foe election duties,” said Albayalde.
There PNP has a strength of 192,000 uniformed personnel and almost all of them will be fielded in various areas in the country to implement the election security.
It was recalled that the PNP has listed 701 towns and cities for the midterm elections on May 13. The 90-day campaign period for senatorial bets and party-list groups starts on February 12.
Albayade earlier said they will make some security adjustments as the number of areas in their hotspot list had ballooned.
Part of the security adjustments are intensified intelligence-gathering and maximum police visibility.
Senior Supt. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesman, said the in-house trainings and schooling include specialized seminar on human rights, investigation, and women and children protection.
“There are some 2,000 policemen who are currently under schooling, they will all be asked to render election duties in order to have maximum police presence such as conduct of checkpoint and operations,” said Banac.
Also included in the list of schooling that will be cancelled are those relating to promotion.
By April, all policemen are expected to be fielded in various areas in their mother units for election duties.
It was recalled that Banac said that the number of election hotspots may increase once the campaign period for local candidates — from congressmen and governor down to city and town councilors — starts. The campaign period for local candidates starts on March 29.
Banac said all those who are on leave will also be asked to return while day-offs are also expected to be cancelled.
The official said that only those who are confined in the hospital and undergoing medication will be exempted. (Aaron Recuenco)
