At least 1,272 PNP personnel undergoing mandatory career courses were turned over to Police Regional Office (PRO-7) to augment various towns and cities in Central Visayas. | Photo courtesy of PRO-7
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Some 1, 272 police personnel undergoing mandatory career courses will be deployed for election duties in various towns and cities in Central Visayas.
There is no set date yet for their official send-off to various towns and cities in Central Visayas.
However, Police Brigadier General Roque Eduardo Vega, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said that these police officers undergoing mandatory career and other specialized courses would be of great help in maximizing the region’s security requirements in meeting the election duties for the coming election.
The turnover happened earlier in Regional Training Center (RTC-7) in Camp Jesse M Robredo in Barangay Jugan in Consolacion town.
Vega said, in a statement on April 7, that PRO-7 would need 10, 900 personnel to be deployed for the election. However, at least 8,003 personnel are only deployable for election duties, which means that 2,087 PNP personnel are still needed.
“Your roles will be vital in ensuring that no election-related violence will occur in Central Visayas under your watch. We are 32 days away from Election Day on May 9, and this is the most crucial time since supporters will be highly emotional during the campaign period. We have to be vigilant in our duties,” Vega said.
Vega further directed stations to intensify the Commission on Elections (Comelec) checkpoints regionwide to prevent the entry of illegal firearms and contraband in line with the implementation of the national gun ban.
It can be recalled that police here continue to monitor the possible presence of criminal gangs, who might be used by candidates in taking advantage of the situation. But for Cebu City and Cebu Province, there had been no reports about this yet.
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