DAVAO CITY — The Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 and the 10th Infantry Division will start deploying police and troops to 1,162 barangays in Davao region on Friday for the May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.
Chief Insp. Milgrace Driz, PRO 11 spokesperson, said the police personnel tasked to secure the holding of the elections will be sent off Friday and will be recalled upon the final counting and delivery of ballot boxes.
For the military, 10th ID Civil Military Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Norman Alcovindas said the ground forces are ready and have been monitoring areas against peace spoilers.
“We are always in support to the Comelec (Commission on Elections),” Alcovindas said on Wednesday
Alcovindas said preparations were made at the battalion level, especially for the transport of the ballot boxes. Both the police and army have consolidated a total of 251 areas in election watch-list.
Paquibato District, this city, where there is a high presence of New People’s Army (NPA), has 13 areas listed as EWAS (Election Watch-list Areas).
Driz and Alcovindas said nothing has changed in the number of EWAS since the list was submitted to the Comelec last week. So far, both the police and the military have not monitored any threat that could disrupt the holding of the barangay and SK elections.
Meanwhile, PRO 11 Director, Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan on Wednesday directed all police personnel to stay neutral and apolitical. He ordered the arrest of violators of the law especially the armed groups.
“Ensure that the people will be able to exercise the right of suffrage,” Gaerlan told police personnel.
Davao region has 18,973 established polling precincts and 8,306 clustered or group precincts.
Davao City which has 182 barangays, has the most number of established precincts at 6,483 and 2,733 clustered precincts; Davao del Sur has 232 barangays and has 2,430 established and 1,160 clustered precincts; Davao Occidental with 105 barangays has 1,184 established and 515 clustered precincts;
Davao del Norte with 223 barangays has 3,822 established and 1,618 clustered precincts; Compostela Valley with 237 barangays has 2,869 established and 1,271clustered precincts; and, Davao Oriental with 183 barangays has 2,185 established and 1,009 clustered precincts.
Davao region has total registered voters of 2,800,614 registered voters for the barangays and 974,919 for SK elections. (Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA)
