Police deployment to Mandaue polling centers starts

Police personnel from Mandaue City Police are now deployed in the 27 voting centers in the city and quick response teams in time for the May 13, 2019 elections. |Rosalie O. Abatayo

MANDAUE CITY, Cebu —  The deployment of over 150 personnel from the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) to voting centers has begun Thursday, May 9.

Some four to 10 policemen are detailed in each of the 27 voting centers in the city, depending on the voting population where the voting centers are located.

Read more: MCPO to conduct showdown inspection of security deployment on May 9

They underwent a showdown inspection early morning today to make sure that they packed all the necessary items for their assignment which begins today until the end of the May 13 polls.

Each of the police personnel brought two sets of uniform, toiletries and other personal things that they may need during the five-day assignment in the polling centers.

“They are instructed to immediately proceed to their assigned voting centers and coordinate with the [members of the Electoral Board] para sila mismo magkailhanay sila ug makasabot kung unsa ilang mga SOP during the election day,” said Lieutenant Colonel Ryan Devaras, MCPO deputy director for administration.

(So that they will be acquainted with the members of the Electoral Board (EB), and so they can agree on their operational procedures during the election day.)

“Wala na silay uliay, start na sa deployment today until mahuman ang election,” Devaras.

(They will no longer go home since their deployment starts today until the end of the election day.)

Aside from the organic police officers in their units, Devaras said they received a 20-men augmentation from the Philippine Navy, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7) and the Highway Patrol Group (HPG).

The augmentation will serve as their quick reaction teams in case untoward incidents will happen during the election day.

The police serving the elections are also asked to observe impartiality at all times and avoid gestures, including accepting of food from anyone, which may be perceived with bias.

Lawyer Edwin Cadungog, election officer of Mandaue City, also asked the policemen to monitor and secure the locations of transformers in the voting centers where they would be assigned to.

Cadungog said that while the vote counting machines have a 16-hour battery life which could survive the 12-hour voting time, supply of electricity would still be vital especially since voting could last at least until 6 p.m. on Monday.

As early as 6 a.m. on Monday, polling precincts will already start to cater to individuals who like to cast their votes early. Those who will be within the 30-meter radius from their respective polling places by 6 p.m. shall also be allowed to vote./dbs