By Roel Amazona/PNA
PALO, Leyte — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed on Monday its 547 Special Action Force (SAF) members to Samar Island to help secure the conduct of the May 2019 mid-term elections there.
The troops, led by Senior Supt. Rolando Miranda, PNP deputy regional director for operations, will stay in Calbayog City as their temporary base to help ensure that no election-related violence will happen in the three Samar provinces.
Most of the 70 villages initially identified as election area of concern are situated in Samar and Northern Samar provinces.
Intense political rivalry and the presence of private armed groups and the New People’s Army are the main reasons why these areas needed more attention from the PNP and Philippine Army, officials said.
The troops, which will be called R-32, will stay in Calbayog even after the election period, PNP regional director Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos said.
The deployment is also in compliance with Memorandum Order (MO) 32 and Executive Order (EO) 70.
Malacañang issued MO 32 on Nov. 22, 2018 amid “sporadic acts of violence allegedly committed by lawless groups particularly in the provinces of Samar, Negros Oriental and Occidental, and Bicol Region.”
The order, entitled “Reinforcing the guidelines for the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police in the implementation of measures to suppress and prevent lawless violence,” directed the Department of National Defense and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to coordinate in the deployment of additional troops.
EO 70, which created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, seeks to institutionalize the whole-of-nation approach in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace.
Carlos said local government officials in Samar provinces have been informed of the deployment of additional security forces in their areas.
“Through the provincial directors, we informed them about the deployment of R-32 and they were also informed about it during the Regional Peace and Order Council meeting where it was clarified that it was not only the province of Samar but the entire Samar Island as part of MO 32,” Carlos said.
Authorities are hopeful that less violence will happen in Samar, especially during the start of the campaign season in March.
