Calderon urges cops to vote

While maintaining that the entire police force remains apolitical, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Calderon encouraged the 119,000-strong PNP to vote come the May 14 national and local elections.

"Beyond encouraging their men to vote, the PNP commanders are reminded to strictly stay apolitical by refraining from influencing their subordinates as to who to vote for in the incoming May 14 elections," Calderon said.

He also directed the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM) to begin accounting for PNP personnel who will avail of their absentee voting rights as stated in the Resolution 7797 of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Under the law, policemen, who cannot vote in the precincts where they are registered because they are assigned to perform election related duties elsewhere may vote in places designated by the Comelec’s Committee on Local Absentee Voting.

In response to Calderon’s order, DPRM chief Director Nicolas Pasinos Jr. ordered all police regional directors, provincial directors and National Support Unit commanders to submit to his office their lists of PNP personnel who are Local Absentee Voters. Pasinos gave the commanders until March 7 to comply.

"We have only until March 14, 2007 to comply with the procedures set by the Comelec, so, one week before the Comelec deadline, commanders must already have secured the sworn list of registered voters under (their) supervision to be submitted with a sworn request to the Comelec’s Committee on Local Absentee Voting," said Pasinos.

Resolution 7797 of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) entitles qualified PNP personnel to avail of the absentee voting scheme scheduled from April 28 to April 30.

Pasinos also reminded PNP commanders to attach to the sworn request the information indicating the places and precinct numbers where the applying policemen are registered and the place of their assignment on election day, with a certification that the applicant is to be reassigned on election day to perform election-related duties. – Cecille Suerte Felipe