PNP assures safety, order during extended voter registration period

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Guillermo Eleazar. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines —  The Philippine National Police (PNP) has assured that measures will be put in place to keep the extended voter registration period from October 9 to 31 safe and orderly.

PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said the large number of Filipinos who will be registering to vote in next year’s national elections, has encouraged the police force to exert more in terms of security preparations for the polls.

Eleazar said he ordered police commanders to deploy their personnel to ensure that health protocols are in place to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in the registration sites.

“The large number of Filipino people who still want to register only encourages your Philippine National Police to work double in laying down the groundwork for peaceful, orderly, and honest conduct of the elections next year,” the PNP chief said.

Eleazar made his assurance after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced that it is extending the voters registration period to end October after the last day of the filing of the certificates of candidacy on October 8. The voter registration period was originally scheduled to end on September 30.

READ: Comelec approves extension of voter registration to end-October

Meanwhile, Eleazar also assured the public that the PNP is busy cracking down on private armed groups and the collection of loose guns to prevent violent incidents related to the national election.

Eleazar said the PNP is in close coordination with the Comelec.

“Our aggressive operations against private armed groups and loose firearms have been intensified in order to deny any individual and group the opportunity to hijack the healthy and clean exercise of our democratic process on the days leading to the May polls and the Election Day,” Eleazar said.

“Subalit patuloy na magiging kaagapay ng Comelec ang kapulisan upang matiyak na maayos at ligtas na naisasagawa ang pagpaparehistro ng ating mga kababayan,” he added.

(Despite that, the police force has been working and coordinating with Comelec to ensure that people can register for the elections properly.)

/MUF