CCPO on heightened alert status for 2022 polls

Police of the Cebu City Police Office are in heightened alert status in this coming May 2022 polls. | contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Despite peaceful local campaign in the past few days, the Cebu City police remain on heightened alert status for May 2022 polls.

This means all police are on standby should their forces be needed at any time, said Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).

Parilla said that they had also yet to receive a go signal from the city’s Commission on Elections offices for the start of the Oplan Baklas.

“Once they will tell us na magconduct tag Oplan Baklas, the PNP is always ready to assist the Comelec. It’s up to them kay sila man sad ang mo determine if nakaviolate ba or wala. Ang Comelec man ang modetermine sa mga posters kung dagko ra ba or bawal diha,” Parilla said.

Oplan Baklas is an initiative which aims to ensure that all campaign materials of candidates are placed in designated areas and follow the allowed sizes.

According to the Fair Elections Act, under Section 9, or the Posting of Campaign Materials, the Comelec may authorize political parties to create poster areas in a maximum of 10 public places, namely plazas, markets, barangay centers, and the like, where candidates can post their propaganda there. This, however, must follow the size of the poster areas not exceeding 12 by 16 feet.

For the past few days or since the start of the local campaign period last March 25, 2022, Parilla said that they had not faced major problems, but he appealed to all aspirants to coordinate with them any activities that they would be conducting here.

Earlier, the CCPO also said that they were under the category “green” for the election. This means that there is no major security concern in the coming election.

READ: Cebu City under category “green” this election 2022 — CCPO chief