ILOILO CITY – The provincial police chief said none of the towns in Iloilo registered any incident that would make the locality fall on the election watch list.
Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) Director, Senior Supt. Marlon Tayaba, however, said in an interview on Monday that some towns in the province are under observation for having election-related incidents in the past.
“One of the parameters that were given to us is the 2010 data onwards. We have considered the whole data to study each municipality in the province,” Tayaba said.
He likewise said that they have monitored zero “vote-buying” incidence in the province.
“I assure everybody that the IPPO is fair in this upcoming election. We will see to it that this will be the most peaceful election that will be held in the province,” he said.
This was the response of the IPPO to the call of Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor, Sr. to the police force to maintain a clean, fair, and honest election.
“I would want to see, at least for the first time in a provincial election, the absence of vote buying,” Defensor said during the police’s traditional New Year’s call on him last January 22.
Tayaba assured the governor and also the public that the IPPO men will remain non-partisan and not engage in politics.
As to the midterm election preparations, mPolice Regional Office (PRO)-6, particularly the IPPO is “ready to perform its responsibilities and duties,” he said.
The IPPO continuously implements its campaign against loose firearms and personalities perceived to be involved in crimes.
“We also have set-up scheduled checkpoints and of course, we have 24/7 mobile checkpoints,” he added.
Tayaba, on February 1, met with 23 town mayors during the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Iloilo chapter meeting to appeal for their support in attaining a clean and honest election.
“We need them to cooperate with us in ensuring a peaceful midterm polls,” he said.
