In this 2018 photo, Mandaue City aspirants for the Sangguniang Kabataan and Barangay elections sign a peace covenant for a peaceful and orderly conduct of the elections. | CDN FILE PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) has already started with its security preparations for the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) and Barangay elections scheduled on October 30, 2023.
Police Lt. Col. Gerard Ace Pelare, the PRO-7 spokesperson, said in a news forum on Tuesday, May 16, said that while they are yet to finalize their schedule of activities, they already started in April the conduct of threat assessment on all incumbent SK and Barangay officials.
“Gi-check nato kung kinsa to ang naay threat ug kung kinsa to ang katong naay [personal] security [in place]. Usa pod ana, ato pong gi check ang mga lawyers, judges, media personalities. Ikaduha, atong gi review ang records. Gitan-aw nato tong mga areas of concern or hotspot areas sa mga nilabay nga elections,” he said during the forum.
“Sa pagka karon, ang PNP naa nay record. But kini man gong pag identify sa hotspots ug areas of concerns, this is through the collective determination of COMELEC, AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), and the PNP,” he added.
Their list, Pelare said, still has to undergo the prescribed verification process. This would be compared with the data from the AFP and the Comelec before a resolution would be passed designating specific municipalities or cities as election “hotspots.”
Basing on the said declaration, the police would then be able to make its final security preparations, Pelare said.
“We are taking the barangay elections, very, very seriously, especially in Negros Oriental and preparations are underway already,” he added.
The COMELEC earlier announced that an election gun ban would be implemented during entire election period, from August 28 to November 29.
The filing of certificates of candidacies is from August 28 to Sept. 2, while the campaign period is from October 19 to 28.
Moreover, a liquor ban would be in effect from October 29 to 30, 2023.
READ MORE:
DepEd Mandaue, Comelec working together to prepare for upcoming brgy, SK polls
CPPO keeping an eye on localities with past election-related incidents
Some areas in Cebu province might be declared as election hotspots— police official
/dcb