Military, police undergo seminar on election laws

ORMOC CITY, Philippines — Around 100 police and military personnel, including top officials, attended a seminar on election laws held last Thursday at a hotel in this city.

The seminar was organized by the Occidental Leyte Bar Association (OLBA) in partnership with the Rotary Club of Ormoc Bay, the Philippine Army and the police.

OLBA president Joy Mejia-Romero said the seminar was intended to educate the peacekeeping forces of their roles, responsibilities and limitations during the election period which starts today (Jan. 13), and on election day on May 13.

One of the resource speakers, city election officer Karen Cajipo presented to the participants an overview of the country's election laws and selected Comelec rules and regulations and their role in the polls, including delineating the roles of the Comelec and the DOJ.

Cajipo said the soldiers and the police, who are expected to secure the conduct of the election, are supposed to stay 50 meters away from the polling places, and could only come near when there is a dispute but "only with a written request from the board of election inspectors (BEI)."

Even physically helping the BEI to carry the PCOS machines and other paraphernalia is prohibited, said Cajipo who will be transferred to Tacloban City on January 21 and will be replaced in Ormoc by Mary Ann Polistico.

Another speaker, assistant city prosecutor Gorgonia Pineda-Encina detailed election offenses during the election period, while assistant provincial prosecutor Lorna Pades, spoke on election offenses during election day.

Assistant provincial prosecutor Erwin James Fabriga discussed about election offenses during the campaign period, and then reminded that throughout this time, the Comelec is the lead agency and anything related to the election must be consulted with this poll body.

Assistant Prosecutor Rene Romero Jr., for his part, talked on warrantless arrests and lawful seizures during the election period, and on the conduct of checkpoints, the movement and location of which the police should first report and coordinate with the Comelec. 

Regional Trial Court executive Judge Clinton Nuevo, in his closing remarks, said he hoped the police and the military were clarified of their roles, considering their important roles in peacekeeping during elections. (FREEMAN)