Cops set up more checkpoints in Metro

Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director General Reynaldo Varilla ordered yesterday the setting up of additional checkpoints to prevent the occurrence of election-related incidents in the metropolis.

Though the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has required each of Metro Manila’s 17 cities and municipalities to maintain a checkpoint, Varilla has increased the number of checkpoints to more than 30.

"With the May election only 13 days away, we will be intensifying our checkpoint operations to confiscate loose firearms and for us to ensure a peaceful and orderly political exercise," he said.

The poll body also ordered the checkpoints to monitor the movements of private armed groups (PAGs) within the metropolis.

Since they erected checkpoints in Metro Manila starting Jan. 14, Varilla said they were able to confiscate 247 loose firearms and 162 bladed weapons.

The Metro police chief said they are giving extra attention to the cities of Caloocan, Pasig and Pasay because of the prevailing heated political rivalry among local candidates.

However, Senior Superintendent Jun Marquez, intelligence chief of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO), pointed out that not a single politician in Metro Manila is maintaining PAGs.

"We have not monitored any local candidates in Metro Manila to be maintaining armed groups," he said.

Varilla called on local candidates to remain calm and not resort to hooliganism to win in the polls.

"We are prepared for any eventuality. We are bent on ensuring that the coming polls would be the most peaceful and orderly in Metro Manila in recent years," he said.

Varilla said the dialogue with the local politicians is of great importance for the police to know beforehand the problems encountered by the candidates while campaigning so "it would be patched up immediately before it goes out of hand."

NCRPO spokesman Superintendent Rommel Bautista said the only election-related incident recorded in Metro Manila was the killing of Quezon province congressional bet Vicente "Butch" Rabaya in Quezon City last month. The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) under Senior Superintendent Magtanggol Gatdula is still investigating the case.

As of this time, Varilla said the NCRPO is conducting seminars for its personnel assigned to poll duty. He said a ranking police official will be assigned as supervisor in each of the 17 cities and municipalities to see to it that the deployed personnel are in their prescribed assignments and their problems and other concerns properly addressed. – Non Alquitran