DILG: 2.8K policemen ready to serve as election inspectors

MANILA – A total of 2,838 personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) are ready to serve as Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) deputized by the Commission on Election (Comelec) on Monday’s polls, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) official said Sunday.

“Elections must proceed in every precinct in the country and the PNP is ready to be called to duty by the Comelec if there are no available teachers to serve in some precincts,” DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said in a statement.

Of the 2,838 police officers who were trained and deputized by Comelec to act as BEIs for the upcoming elections, 1,032 are in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) due to possible election-related violence in the region.

“Our men and women of the PNP are ready to do their duty under the law. They have already undergone training by the Comelec for this contingency and they are on stand-by should their service be required,” Año said.

The remaining number of cops trained for election duty are in Police Regional Office 10 (Northern Mindanao) with 415; PRO4-A (Calabarzon) with 363; 231 for PRO 13 (Caraga region); 201 for PRO 5 (Bicol Region); 175 for PRO 11 (Davao Region); and 136 for PRO 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula).

“With the exemption of Region 4-A, most of the areas are in Mindanao which remains to be a challenge to Comelec and PNP. Hopefully, these areas will be peaceful during the May 13 polls,” Año said.

In Luzon, NCRPO has 24 BEI cops, 50 for PRO 1(Ilocos Region), 20 for PRO 2 (Cagayan Valley), 96 for PRO 3 (Central Luzon), while PRO 6 (Western Visayas) has 35, 43 for PRO 12(Soccsksargen), and 17 for PROCOR (Cordillera Administrative Region).

“These deputized police officers are ready to assist if they will be needed. Hopefully, we’ll have a peaceful election so that they can just focus on the peace and order aspect of their job,” the Interior Secretary said.

Meanwhile, a total of 149,830 police personnel have been deployed for election duty nationwide. Of this figure, 75,486 will be stationed in various voting centers; 31,613 are reserved forces; and 11,413 are part of the quick response team.

Other cops are assigned in the Election Monitoring Action Center/TOC, with 6,083 personnel; Warehouse and Hub, 1,923; Canvassing Centers, 4,566; Election Boards, 2,838; Checkpoints, 7,817; Border Control Chokepoint, 3,415; and Civil Disturbance Management, 1,901.

A total of 2,775 personnel who are on schooling were also recalled by the PNP for election duties.

“I have placed the entire PNP on full alert this coming election. The DILG also has an operations center in place. We are ready to ensure peaceful and orderly elections,” Año said.