by Edwin Fernandez/PNA
The first three days of the campaign period for local candidates in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) remained orderly with no reported untoward incident related to the upcoming polls, a police official said Monday.
Brig. Gen. Eliseo Tam Rasco, director of Police Regional Office-12, said the police have been closely monitoring campaign sorties of all candidates in various places across the region to ensure the political exercises are free from violence.
“We are happy to inform you that the campaign activities were normal,” Rasco said in an interview over Catholic-run DXMS radio station here.
The campaign period for local political aspirants started on March 29.
Rasco said some areas in the region have been under close watch due to violence that occurred in the last elections, the presence of private armed groups and intense political rivalries.
“However, these areas remain peaceful and orderly as the campaign period enters its fourth day on Monday,” he said.
Earlier, Rasco said a total of 76 assorted high-powered firearms were confiscated during the implementation of election gun ban in Region 12.
He attributed the peaceful campaign days to the cooperation between law enforcers, the Army, and police and other stakeholders.
Rasco also credited the police-led peace covenant signing among local aspirants down to the municipal level as instrumental in the orderly campaign period.
He appealed for continued cooperation of all election stakeholders across the region.
Last day of campaigning will be at 12 midnight on May 11, 2019. Election day is set on May 13, 2019.
