The Philippine National Police (PNP) has placed all units on full alert nationwide starting Saturday, May 3, in preparation for the upcoming midterm elections.
PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said the directive aims to ensure the readiness of police forces and the strategic deployment of all the necessary resources to maintain peace and order during the elections on May 12, when voters will elect senators and local officials.
He said the full alert status started at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, until 11:59 p.m. on May 15.
“Our personnel are committed to maintaining peace and order throughout the election period. We will work hand-in-hand with the Comelec and other government agencies to ensure the will of the people is respected, and that no act of violence or disruption will derail the electoral process,” said Marbil.
“There is no place for violence or intimidation in a democratic process,” he added.
The PNP leadership started the security preparations for the 20235 midterm polls last year. Part of it is the implementation of the gun ban which started on Jan. 12 this year. Over 2,000 firearms have been seized since the gun ban started.
The security measures also include conduct of operations against loose firearms and private armed groups, as well as vote-buying.
Amid cases of gun attacks that include those related to the elections, the full alert status nine days before the elections is seen as another layer of security.
Marbil said all Reactionary Standby Support Forces (RSSF), Quick Reaction Forces (QRF), and regional units have been instructed to remain on standby and respond immediately to any untoward incident that may arise.
“Police presence will be heightened in polling centers, and other critical areas in different regions,” said Marbil.
But he called on the public to remain vigilant, report any suspicious activities, and continue cooperating with law enforcement officers deployed on the ground. (Aaron Recuenco)
