Police, military raise alert level for elections

MANILA, Philippines –  The military and the police are on highest alert in preparation for tomorrow’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, the run-up to which has been marked with pockets of violence and even deaths.

“We know we have a critical role to play in the barangay and SK elections and the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) is focused on this,” AFP Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu told a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.

“We will endeavor to maintain peace and security in the country. Aside from our mandated election duties, we will continue to address existing security threats,” Mapagu, who also heads the military’s Task Force HOPE, said. HOPE stands for honest, orderly, peaceful elections.

“All AFP field units are on red alert status,” he said.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), meanwhile, placed all its units on full alert beginning at 8 a.m. yesterday, police spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz said.

“All leaves and vacations are cancelled and all personnel are directed to report to their respective stations and offices,” said Cruz.

“We are all ready for the election,” he added.

Mapagu said they were coordinating with the PNP in visibility patrols and in manning checkpoints and security assistance desks in strategic areas to thwart plots to disrupt the elections and create a scenario of instability.

The AFP, he said, has also posted military liaison officers at various offices of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Joint Security Control Centers (JSC) manned by military and police elements under the direct supervision of Comelec have been activated across the country to address various security concerns during the election period.

Optimistic

Mapagu expressed optimism that there would be a significant decrease in poll-related violence tomorrow. He claimed campaign-related violent incidents this year were fewer compared to the barangay and SK elections in 2007.

“There were 98 election-related violent incidents recorded in 2007 as compared to this year’s 34 incidents,” Mapagu said.

In the 2007 barangay and SK elections, 4,511 barangays had been placed under the police and military election watch lists as compared to 2,201 this year.

Mapagu attributed the significant decrease in the number of election hotspots to the sustained military and police campaign against loose firearms, private armed groups, and communist insurgents.

The joint military and police enforcement of the Comelec gun ban has resulted in the arrest of 516 violators, 483 of them civilians, 16 government employees, 11 policemen and six military personnel.

A total of 440 firearms have been confiscated during the campaign, including 134 high-powered firearms.

Other items seized were five firearm replicas, 112 bladed weapons and 23 grenades.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said that of the 15,600 police personnel in Metro Manila, 5,000 would be deployed to secure polling precincts.

“We are ready. Our units are now on full alert. Aside from those which will be deployed to provide security to the various polling precincts, other units will be sent to conduct foot patrols while others will be on standby,” NCRPO director Chief Supt. Nicanor Bartolome said.

Bartolome said that while there are no Comelec-declared hotspots in Metro Manila, the NCRPO has decided to deploy more police officers in areas with the biggest number of voters such as Quezon City and Manila.

“We look forward to Monday’s election with all the preparations and the dialogs we had. We pray that it would be successful,” he said.

Preparations

“All troops are accounted for. We are prepared for this political exercise and nothing is left to chance,” Calabarzon’s Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr. said.

“It’s all systems go,” he added.

He ordered his men to be always ready to mobilize as civil disturbance management units in the event of poll-related unrest.

Pagdilao said he has more than 5,000 men ready for election duty.

Pagdilao also directed his commanders to remind the public, especially candidates and their supporters, of the ban on political campaign staring midnight yesterday.

The selling and distribution of liquor is banned beginning today until after the elections.

“Experience tells us that vote buying, harassment of voters, and other illegal activities associated with the final hour of the campaign period proliferate mostly in this period,” Pagdilao said.

The PNP command in Region 1 said at least 2,700 policemen would be assigned to 2,635 polling centers in the four provinces comprising the region.

“These policemen will be securing the election precincts while augmentation personnel will be utilized as additional forces outside the poll areas and in the conduct of foot and mobile patrols,” Ilocos police director Chief Superintendent Orlando Mabutas said.

“We are doing all we can to ensure honest, orderly and peaceful elections this coming Monday. Checkpoint operations all over the region have been intensified, and our implementation of the gun ban has been in full swing since the start of the election period,” Mabutas stressed.

Region 1 has 19,544 polling precincts in 3,265 barangays. Pangasinan has the biggest number of polling precincts at 11,113. There are 1,364 barangays in the province.

Meanwhile, a supporter of a defeated gubernatorial bet in La Union in the May 10 elections was arrested yesterday for possession of firearm in Naguilian.

La Union police director Senior Superintendent Ramon Purugganan said the suspect, Fernando Asprec, 43, worked for former congressman Tomas Dumpit Sr.

Seized from Asprec was a caliber M16 rifle with 23 live bullets.

The suspect was nabbed inside the Abet Videoke Bar in Brgy Ortiz, Naguilian, La Union.

Supt. Jaquilino Lagiwid, chief of the provincial intelligence branch, said the suspect was listed as a member of a private armed group.

The Agusan del Norte Police command has also stepped up security following the murder of a reelectionist barangay kagawad or councilman.

“We already deployed close to 650 policemen in the entire province’s 10 towns and component city while in tight watch in 15 barangays of the province classified under watch list areas,” Provincial Director Senior Supt Nestor Monton Fajura told The STAR in a phone interview.

Fajura said of the 15 barangays, nine have been put on the list due to the strong presence of communist guerillas while six have been included due to intense political rivalries.

He also admitted the proliferation of loose firearms in some mining areas and that securing search warrants had been very difficult. He could not tell where the firearms had come from.

Civilians and small-scale miners were reportedly arming themselves for protection from robbers and extortionists.

But there are reports that some men in uniform have been trading firearms from Danao City in Cebu. The weapons are reportedly smuggled in container vans to the Caraga Region via the seaports of Lipata in Surigao City and in Nasipit Port.

Violence

Meanwhile, Caraga Police Regional Director Chief Supt Reynaldo Rafal has confirmed the shooting of 45-year-old poll campaigner Eduardo Malayao Roluna as election related.

Police said Roluna was shot and wounded inside a house by Barangay Captain Melecio Sumaoy Mejorada and unidentified companions. Mejorada was later arrested. His companions are at large.

Also in the Caraga region, a re-electionist kagawad actively involved in efforts to solve problems in gold rush areas like the proliferation of firearms has been shot dead by unidentified men and women inside his house.

Police identified the victim as Rommel Magdayo Moldez, 31, of Barangay San Isidro, Santiago, Agusan del Norte.

Initial investigation revealed that the victim and a companion, Romnick Tupos, chanced upon the gunmen inside his house Thursday.

The suspects ordered the two to drop to the ground after which they shot Moldez in the back.

Relatives said the victim had been receiving death threats for his crusade to rid the mine site of illegal firearms.

In Lanao del Sur, unidentified men strafed the house of a candidate for barangay chairman in Molundo town.

Police Superintendent Cosanie Derogongan said nobody was hurt in the strafing of the house of Linang Macadato, 38, a candidate for barangay chairman of Guilopa. Macadato was not in the house at that time. The suspects are followers of Macadato’s rival, police said.

Derogongan said this was the third election related violent incident in the province. Last Oct.12, three people were hurt in a shooting incident in Tamparan town.

Meanwhile, soldiers from the Philippine Army’s 51st Infantry Battalion responding to a report of gun ban violation ended up being charged with robbery in Picong, Lanao del Sur.

Battalion commander Lt. Colonel Giovanni Franza refuted the allegations.

Reports said the soldiers tried to arrest an alleged gun ban violator identified as Casanor Tambor Ramber, who hid inside the house of a certain Merhana Kaladan Sarip.

The complainant, a certain Ismael Sarip, alleged that the soldiers took some P100,000 in cash and P213,000 worth of jewelry while purportedly searching for Ramber.

The complainant was not even present during the incident, Franza said.

The soldiers, led by 1st Lt. John Christopher Talattad, claimed they did not even enter the house but just called out to the suspect who voluntarily came out after barangay chairman Alibasher Alilang intervened. Seized from Ramber was an unlicensed M-16 rifle with live ammunition. With Non Alquitran, Ben Serrano, Lino dela Cruz, and Jun Elias