By Mary Judaline Partlow/Philippine News Agency
DUMAGUETE CITY — Security preparations for a peaceful and orderly elections in Negros Oriental on May 13 are in place with about 90 percent of troop deployment almost ready, said a key police official in the province.
Maj. Jul Mohammad Jamiri, deputy chief of the Provincial Operations and Planning Branch of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office (NOPPO), gave the assurance Tuesday as he spoke to some 200 parish coordinators and volunteers during a Trainers’ Training spearheaded by the Diocesan Electoral Board (DEB) of the Diocese of Dumaguete.
Jamiri said the Philippine National Police (PNP) will deploy more than 1,300 police personnel to the different polling precincts, while the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will also provide augmentation to the PNP.
“Basically, for the whole province, we have 535 polling precincts, and for our compliance of “two is to one”, we have to have 1,070 PNP personnel that we will deploy,” he said.
Aside from that, the NOPPO has prepared 234 additional personnel or three policemen to man areas that they perceive as potentially “critical”, he said.
NOPPO has identified 78 voting and polling centers that need five police personnel, Jamiri noted, although he declined to mention which barangays or in what towns or cities these are located.
According to him, they cannot yet disclose these places until the PNP higher headquarters release the so-called election watch list of areas in Negros Oriental.
There will also be composite Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) for the barangays, the districts, and the municipalities or cities, he said.
Aside from the police and military deployment in the polling places, there are also composite teams assigned at the different police stations, he added.
Jamiri assured the DEB/Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) volunteers that there is no cause for worry because “we have a four-layered security preparation” for the elections.
He enjoined the volunteers “to join the team of the security force” by reporting any unusual activity on election day and to coordinate with the PNP.”
In an interview after the training, Jamiri told reporters that they fast-track everything, in coordination with the AFP, Coast Guard, and all other law enforcement units, while the security contingency plan just needs polishing.
He said that as of Tuesday, they have not seen any serious challenges in relation to the mid-term elections, “and all the challenges are somewhat normal, especially in the preparations but everything is well managed and can all be handled” by the PNP.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Joint Security Coordinating Center (PJSCC) is meeting today (Wednesday) to discuss security measures and other election concerns.
Lawyer Eliseo Labaria, Provincial Election Supervisor, called for the meeting which basically will tackle the deployment of police and military personnel and the integration of security plans prepared by the PNP and the AFP, Jamiri said.
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