The Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) will ask the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO-7) to send personnel who can help monitor and secure the more than 1,000 voting centers in Cebu province during the May 9 elections.
“Kuwang kaayo ta sa tawo (We lack personnel), considering that there are a lot of polling centers in each municipality, and the police stations only have at least 21 personnel,” said Senior Supt. Clifford Gairanod, CPPO chief, during the security planning for the May 9 elections.
Gairanod said they will tap the personnel from the AFP Central Command and the Police Regional Public Safety Battalion Central Visayas (RPSB-7) to address this concern.
In previous security plan meetings in the PRO-7, Gairanod said that at least two police officers should secure each of the 1,066 voting centers in the province.
“We also have to provide route security for the movement of ballots and other paraphernalia around the province,” he said.
The CPPO is also preparing for any post-election scenarios such as rallies by those who will possibly contest the election results. Gairanod said a reserved battalion should be on standby for any untoward incident.