PNP News Releases 2005

ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR POLL SECURITY

The Philippine National Police is all set to implement rigid security measures as a deputized agency of the Commission on Elections to ensure an honest, orderly, peaceful, and credible polls on May 10. This was the final assessment of PNP Chief, Director General Hermogenes E Ebdane Jr. barely five days before the 2004 synchronized national and local elections.

“Election duties are not new to us. It has become a part of our regular function that we have somehow learned our lessons well in ensuring peaceful and orderly elections,” Ebdane said.

The PNP and the Armed Forces have been deputized by the Comelec to guard the 239,824 polling precincts throughout the country. In areas where the presence of local terrorist groups might raise security concerns, the Comelec has authorized clustering of precincts. “Violence and disorder has no place in this political exercise. The PNP shall see to it that law and order will prevail in the May 10 elections,” the PNP Chief emphasized.

Ebdane is on the penultimate leg of his inspection sorties to various Police Regional Offices in the country to assess the operational readiness and preparedness of PNP Units and personnel to assume election duties during the May 10 polls. The PNP Chief earlier made a personal assessment of situations in some Election Areas of Concern historically considered as potential trouble spots due to intense political rivalry and previous experience of election violence.

As of latest count, the PNP has listed 44 towns and cities as Election Areas of Immediate Concern (EAIC), and another 579 localities as Election Areas of Concern (EAC), 12 of which are in Metro Manila.

Ebdane, however, expressed optimism that incidence of election related violence during and after the elections will be minimal and insignificant. Since the start of the election period, the PNP has recorded a total of 82 Election-Related Violent Incidents (ERVI) that left 70 persons killed and 137 others injured.

According to PNP Spokesman, Chief Superintendent Joel R Goltiao, the incidence of election related violence in connection with the May 10 polls has been reduced significantly as compared to those recorded during the previous elections in 2001, 1998, 1995, and 1992. “I would say that all our security efforts have paid off well, especially our operations against unauthorized firearms,” Goltiao said.

To date, the PNP has accounted for 1,353 various types of firearms, 55 explosive devices, and over 500 other deadly weapons from 1,701 arrested violators of the Comelec-imposed gunban. Goltiao said the confiscation of these weapons averted higher chances of more election-related violence.