Reassignment for cops with kin running in May polls

CEBU, Philippines — Police and election personnel who have relatives seeking an elective post in the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in May will be reshuffled.

Chief Superintendent Robert Quenery, director of Police Regional Office-7, said they can start the reshuffling after the formal filing of candidacy on April 14-20.

“Immediately after the candidates file their COCs (certificate of candidacy), then we now determine the police officers who are related with those candidates,” Quenery said.

He said police personnel who have relatives running for a barangay post will be reassigned to areas where they cannot influence or affect the candidacy of their kin.

Even police station commanders who have been manning their respective jurisdictions for a while now will not be spared from the order, according to the PRO-7 chief.

“Perhaps they developed familiarity with not only sa local chief executives but also sa candidates or barangay officials,” he said, adding that those who will be temporarily transferred can go back to their original posts after the election period.

The election period for the barangay and SK polls runs from April 14 to May 21.

Aside from the PNP, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will also implement reshuffling if some of the election officers have families running for positions.

Comelec-7 Director Rafael Olaño, however, clarified that there’s no violation committed if an election officer remains on his/her post even he/she has a family member running.

But for the sake of transparency, he said Comelec-7 will reshuffle their personnel.

“Usually, meron din (reshuffling). Kasi if merong mga kandidato who are related to our election officers…if the EOs have candidates who are related to each other, we can always transfer them to give them the appearance of partiality. Though there is no violation within the barangay level, but on our part, we will just do it to ensure the impartiality,” Olaño said.

The elections will be held on May 14. — JMD (FREEMAN)