By PNA Newsroom
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The Police Regional Office 10 (Northern Mindanao) has already completed the draft of its regional security plan for the 2019 mid-term elections, its spokesman said Friday.
Supt, Surki Sereñas, PRO-10 spokesman, said a joint conference will be called among the police, military, and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to discuss the security plan.
Sereñas said the security plan identified the election areas of concern and areas based on previous data and analyses of prevailing peace and order situations.
Three parameters were considered in classifying areas of immediate concern, the police official said.
“First, is when there was previous incident of election-related violence, second is when there’s a presence of private armed groups, and last is when there’s an intense political rivalry,” he said.
If identified as a hotspot, this would mean that Comelec control would be needed, and tighter security measures will be implemented. Cagayan de Oro City has not been identified as an election hotspot.
“Although there are threats, we believe there’s nothing to worry,” Sereñas said.
He said that while security measures have been implemented, the role of the public remains crucial in maintaining peace and order and in the government’s fight against terrorism. (Renee Barrio, USTP-CDO intern/PNA)
