(PNA)
LEGAZPI CITY — The Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO5) has created its Regional Task Force on Safe and Fair Election (SAFE) for the mid-term election next year.
In an interview Friday, Chief Inspector Ma. Luisa Calubaquib, PRO5 spokesperson, said the regional police office created Task force SAFEto be headed by PRO5 Director, Chief Supt. Arnel Escobal.
The task force was created after a meeting was held among all the six police provincial directors of Bicol and director of the Naga City Police Office last month.
Calubaquib said aside from Task Force SAFE, another one would be created next year for the province of Masbate.
Task Force SAFE, according to her, is divided into six sub-task groups, each to be headed by a ranking police officer.
“We will have sub task groups that will focus on police operation, legal offensive, logistics and finance, human resource and inter-agency coordinating information,” she said.
Calubaquib said they are presently identifying candidates with very high security threat level, tendency and potential to employ private armed groups and gun for hire, those involved in illegal drugs or who are members of criminal syndicates, and politicians supported by communist and drug groups.
“Our police officers in the field are on the process of assessing and validating places and areas which will be declared as election hotspots or areas of concern. Hopefully, in January, we can identify all the election hotspots and areas of concern,” she said.
Task Force SAFE 2019 is also reviewing the best practices and lessons learned in the last elections to enhance future election security operations
