Police tighten security in San Fernando on eve of election day

This is a scene from San Fernando town in southern Cebu on the night of before May 13, election day. | Rosalie O. Abatayo

SAN FERNANDO, Cebu — Random checkpoints are in place in San Fernando town on Sunday night, the eve of May 13, 2019 elections. 

Police Major Lymel Pasquin, San Fernando Police Station chief, said they had already heightened their security measures in order to prevent any attempt to sabotage the election proceedings tomorrow, Monday, May 13. 

“So far deployment is in place na as well as tomorrow morning para sa  deployment ng mga election paraphernalia doon sa mga polling places,” Pasquin told CDN Digital in an interview. 

Pasquin said at least one police officer would already be stationed in voting centers in each of the 21 barangays of the town. 

San Fernando is a second income class municipality located 42 kilometers south of Cebu City that hosts 48,525 voters. 

Read more: San Fernando mayor survives ambush

The town gained notoriety early this year after at least four elected government officials were killed in separate gun violence in a span of two months. 

The most prominent attacks against its officials was the January 22 ambush of Mayor Reluya’s group which killed her husband, Panadtaran Barangay Captain and Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) President Ricardo “Nonoy” Reluya Jr., and two employees Alan Bayot and Ricky Monterona. 

Read more: Townsfolk weep for Nonoy Reluya as his body is brought home to San Fernando

“Nagco-conduct po tayo ng mga random checkpoints with the Philippine Army. These are joint na mga checkpoints conducted by the police and the Philippine in different areas,” Pasquin added. 

The police chief also said that they have beefed up their security in voting centers with history of violence like Barangay Bugho where the Bravo Company of the Philippine Army nabbed four armed men last Thursday, May 9.

Read more: Charges readied against 4 men involved in San Fernando’s Bugho incident

Pasquin added that they will also impose tighter security in Barangay Panadtaran, where incumbent Mayor Lakambini Reluya will vote, and in Barangay Sangat mayoralty aspirant Ruben Feliciano is a registered voter. 

Barangay South Poblacion and Pitalo, which has the highest number of voters, are also given high priority in security deployment. 

Read more: Sinas assures worried teachers: More cops to San Fernando to ensure peaceful election in May

Pasquin said they have already agreed with the officials from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Office and the members of the electoral board to send out request to the police details to enter their respective voting centers. 

The request from the EBs are needed since under the law, the police are only allowed outside the 50-meter radius from the voting centers. 

The police have not received any report of election-related violence as of 6:30 p.m. on Sunday./dbs