MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday held a command conference on the security preparations for next year’s mid-term elections.
PNP chief Director General Oscar Albayalde led the Command Conference at PNP headquarters at Camp Crame, Quezon City, which was attended by various police units – including Command Group, Directorial Staff, Regional Directors and Directors of National Support Units.
“Early preparations to assume election duty in the forthcoming five-month election period for the 2019 mid-term elections that will commence on January 13, 2019 until June 12, 2019. [This is] a proactive move against politically-motivated violence that may erupt ahead of the filing of certificates of candidacy and the election season,” Albayalde told reporters in a press briefing after the command conference.
“I have directed anew all Police Regional Offices and National Support Units to go ‘hammer and tongs’ in aggressive interdiction operations against private armed groups, gun-for-hire syndicates and its criminal support systems, that historically mar the peaceful holding of credible and fair elections,” the PNP Chief added.
“I am optimistic that with all security measures in place, we can look forward to peaceful and fair elections in 2019,” he said.
Meanwhile, Senior Supt. Herminio Tadeo Jr., Police Regional Office 1 (PRO-1) officer-in-charge, said they are now tracking down five persons of interest in the ambush of Sipuden, La Union Mayor Alexander Buquing Monday night.
However, Tadeo did not divulge the identities of the suspects due to the ongoing probe.
Buquing, his driver, and police bodyguard, were killed in an ambush in Bangar town on their way home. His wife, Sudipen vice mayor Wendy Joy Buquing, survived the attack. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
