By Froilan Magtoto/Philippine News Agency
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — A total of 9,297 police personnel in Central Luzon will be deployed around the region to ensure peaceful and orderly mid-term elections on May 13.
A send-off ceremony as well as turn-over of forces and resources were held on Monday at the Police Regional Office-3 (PRO3) Parade Ground, participated in by Philippine National Police, along with Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel and force multipliers.
Brig. Gen. Joel Napoleon Coronel, director of the Police Regional Office 3, said the deployment of personnel will help address election-related incidents and security problems that might take place before, during and after the balloting process.
He said that other security personnel will also help in safeguarding the delivery of vote counting machines to all polling precincts in the region’s seven provinces namely, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Tarlac and Aurora.
Coronel, in his message, reminded the troops to remain apolitical at all times and to avoid participating in any partisan political activity during the election.
“The only instruction I will give is the same given to us by our no less than Commander-In-Chief, President Rodrigo Duterte that is to ensure that the coming elections shall remain honest, orderly, peaceful and fair. Tayo ay magiging patas sa lahat. (we will be fair to all). Our only objective is to maintain the sanctity of the ballot and safeguard the will of the Filipino people,” he said.
To maximize deployment, Coronel said police personnel assigned to do desk work will also be sent out to ensure safety and security during election day.
Meanwhile, Police Colonel Rhoderick Armamento, PRO3 Deputy Regional Director for Operations, asked the troops to help and work together in order to make the elections in the region orderly and peaceful.
“Let us keep working together to guarantee the success of the electoral process in terms of peace and order, public safety and security,” Armamento said.
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