By Gail Momblan/Philippine News Agency
ILOILO CITY — The Police Regional Office 6 (Western Visayas) recorded zero election-related incident during Monday’s polls.
Brig. Gen. John Bulalacao, PRO-6 director, attributed the over-all success of the elections’ security to early preparations, the cooperation of all concerned government agencies, and the support of the community.
Of the total 14,277 security forces deployed across the region for the election, a total of 11,824 were Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel; 1,995 were members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP); and 397 were Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel, Bulalacao said.
In a press conference at the Regional Election Monitoring Action Center (REMAC) in Camp Martin Delgado on Tuesday, he said the eight focus crimes decreased by 71.43 percent.
“The eight focus crimes have greatly improved as there was a significant reduction, comparing the May 13, 2013 with the May 13, 2019 mid-term elections,” Bulalacao said.
The security template for the elections “had been tried and tested”, he said, and only the negative attitude of some police officers has to be changed.
“Over-all, I am satisfied with their (police) performance and if I am to grade them from 1 to 10, I will give them 9,” Bulalacao said.
According to him, the deployed security personnel will remain at their posts and “should not let their guards down” until the election process is done.
Security personnel will help the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the teachers in returning election paraphernalia to the hubs, he said.
Meanwhile, Major Gen. Dinoh Dolina, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) of the Philippine Army, said he was proud of the troops who have rendered election duties.
He said the isolated incidents of vote buying, gun ban, and liquor ban “did not affect the election process and its result in Western Visayas.”
Based on PRO-6 data, Western Visayas arrested 37 liquor ban violators.
Antique province had three cases with 10 arrested persons; Negros Occidental, three cases with nine arrested person; Bacolod City, one case with 16 arrested persons; and Guimaras, one case with two arrested persons.
On the other hand, 474 gun ban violators were arrested – 141 in Negros Occidental; 116 in Iloilo; and 70 in Bacolod City.
Iloilo province had 14 recorded incidents of vote buying, with PHP20,890 in confiscations; while Negros Occidental had three, with PHP139,000 in confiscations.
Bulalacao said vote buying cases will be filed at the Office of the Prosecutor.
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