Metro cops ready for polls

The Philippine National Police in Metro Manila is all ready for Monday’s elections.

This was the assurance given yesterday by Western Police District (WPD) director Senior Superintendent Nicolas Pasinos in the wake of reports that some groups are out to conduct activities aimed to disrupt the conduct of the polls.

Meanwhile, the Southern Police District (SPD) has concluded its preparations for the elections, according to its director Senior Superintendent Jose Gutierrez Sr.

Gutierrez disclosed that he has assigned roving patrol teams to monitor the peace and order situation in the seven local government units of the Southern District namely Las Piñas, Taguig, Makati City, Pasay City, Parañaque City, Pateros and Muntinlupa.

Particularly, the SPD would be looking at four areas of concern (Las Piñas, Parañaque, Taguig and Makati City), identified because of their historical significance.

"We are all prepared for possible destabilization attempts. The city is secured and so is Malacañang Palace," Pasinos told The STAR.

Pasinos admitted that they are now verifying reports that some groups, allegedly supporters of deposed President Joseph Estrada are out to sow destabilization acts in Manila come election day.

He, however, stressed that the Manila police is not taking the threats lightly as he ordered the WPD’s 11 station commanders to be on their toes. "We have learned our lessons following the violent storming of Malacañang. We are now prepared and we will not take this sitting down," Pasinos said.

The WPD has not lifted its red alert status since May 1 when pro-Estrada rallyists conducted a bloody riot at Mendiola and tried to break through the gates of Malacañang.

Aside from the areas around Malacañang, the WPD is also closely monitoring the various stations of the Light Rail Transit; the oil depots in Pandacan and the Manila Port Area.

For Monday’s elections, the WPD has activated its District Election Monitoring Center based at the district headquarters. The center is tasked to monitor all election-related activities in Manila, especially acts of poll-related violence.

Pasinos said that the WPD will be deploying a total of 2,500 police officers who are tasked to secure the delivery of ballot boxes from the Manila City Treasurer’s Office to the city’s 96 polling precincts on Sunday.

The ballot boxes will escorted to the Manila City Treasurer’s Office from the Central Office of the Commission on Elections by members of the Philippine Marines on Saturday, Pasinos said.