'PNP on top of situation'

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) assured the public yesterday that law enforcement authorities are on top of the situation and will work hard to ensure clean, honest and orderly elections today.

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said untoward incidents that happened in the past few days were considered isolated, and the PNP is doing everything to prevent similar incidents.

“We are on top of the situation. These are isolated cases. We don’t see concerted efforts to create chaos during the elections,” said Verzosa. “The concentration of the Joint Security Control Centers (JSCC) is focused on areas where there is a history of election-related violent incidents.”

Police have also intensified police deployment in areas covered by Comelec Resolution 8887, promulgated late Saturday evening that places several areas under Comelec control to prevent election violence.

The areas placed under Comelec control include Abra; Dasol, Pangasinan; Buguey, Cagayan; Nueva Ecija province, Pantao Ragat and Matungao towns in Lanao del Norte, Davao City in Davao del Sur, and the whole of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

A special task force would be assigned to oversee the elections in areas that were placed under Comelec control.

Verzosa said the national police force has intensified its campaign for the conduct of honest and orderly elections.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said the PNP, together with other members of the (JSCC) like the Commission on Elections, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) made sure that enough security troops have been deployed in the field to prevent any violent incident especially on May 10.

“Despite violent incidents, the PNP, AFP, and those members of the JSCC are on top of the situation, we are long prepared for the situation and we will see to it that generally the situation will be peaceful, despite sporadic violent incidents in some parts of the country,” Espina added.

Espina said JSCC would get instructions and orders from Comelec officials who have the main authority on election matters.

“We are optimistic that all will be delivered within Sunday,” the PNP spokesman added.

Verzosa also issued an alert against buying and selling of votes, which are commonly done to ensure victory of certain candidates. Other schemes indicated that unscrupulous persons would pay individuals not to vote, thus ensuring the victory of their candidate.

Senior Superintendent Rolando Felix, deputy chief of the National Task Force HOPE, said 60.5 percent compact flash cards have been delivered from the hub to the polling centers, 94 percent precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines, and 68 percent of the ballots.

Felix said Surigao del Sur Gov. Vicente Pimentel and his companions were attacked by 80 New People’s Army rebels led by alias “Ka Bryle” at Sitio Tandawan, Barangay Loyola, Surigao del Sur while the group were on their way to Tandag City last Saturday.

Felix said Pimentel and Senior Police Officer 1 Vincent Omas-as, SPO1 Raymundo Dupitas, two Army personnel and a civilian aide noticed the presence of the rebels and instead of stopping the driver sped off but the armed men fired at the victims who were able to escape from the rebel checkpoint.