By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA
MANILA — Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde, said Friday he will visit Lanao del Norte to personally check on security measures for the second Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) plebiscite on February 6.
“I will personally go there and supervise security measures there. For now, we do not see any problem as the first plebiscite in other areas is done and we will be focusing our forces there and we will put in more troops to ensure a peaceful plebiscite,” Albayalde said in a radio interview.
Senior Supt. Bernard Banac, PNP spokesperson, said a total of 3,209 police officers will be deployed to six municipalities in Lanao del Norte and 39 barangays in North Cotabato.
Meanwhile, the military has deployed more than 10,000 troops and support units to help secure the BOL plebiscite, alongside the PNP.
The second BOL plebiscite will be held in the province of Lanao del Norte, except Iligan City; the municipalities of Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pikit, and Pigkawayan in the province of North Cotabato; and the 28 barangays to be included in the region.
The twin blasts that rocked the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu on January 27 occurred barely a week after the first BOL plebiscite on January 21.
Sulu was the only province of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao that voted against the measure, which seeks to create the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
