1,160 members of PNP’s Reactionary Force to undergo training for 2022 polls

Facade of the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame. Image from pnp.gov.ph website

MANILA, Philippines — At least 1,160 members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) National Headquarters Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF) will undergo a four-week training for the upcoming May 2022 general elections, the police force’s Public Information Office said on Friday.

According to PNP-PIO, the training is in line with the PNP’s preparation to safeguard the elections, as one of the law enforcement agencies tapped by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in ensuring peace and order on May 9.

The decision to place the 1,160 officers under training is another measure of the PNP with around a month left before the election day itself. Previously, over 16,000 uniformed personnel undergoing career courses and field training programs have been recalled for election duties.

During the opening ceremony of the training for RSSF Members inside Camp Crame in Quezon City earlier, PNP Deputy Chief for Operations and Commander of the Security Task Force for the 2022 national elections Lt. Gen. Ferdinand Divina stressed the importance of the police’s role during poll season.

“As you undertake election duties, may you be reminded of the primordial obligation of every police officer to remain apolitical and always provide a professional, fast, efficient, and courteous response to a legitimate citizen request for police service or assistance,” Divina said.

“I urge all of you to internalize this training seriously as this will surely play a significant role in our shared responsibility of ushering a peaceful, honest, and fair national and local elections,” he added.

While past elections in the country have been generally peaceful, the Philippines has a long history of election-related violence.  In 2009, the single-largest killing of journalists in the world happened during election season, when a convoy of media personalities and female supporters of Maguindanao 2nd District Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu were ambushed by armed men in 2009.

Mangudadatu was then seeking the gubernatorial seat of Maguindanao, challenging the Ampatuans’ grip on the province.  Members of the Ampatuan clan including former Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. were convicted last December 2019 for the incident.

READ: Andal Ampatuan Jr., kin guilty for Maguindanao massacre of 57 people 

As early as September 2021, there were reports of attacks believed to be motivated by the elections, including a grenade-throwing incident at the ancestral home of Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.

No one was harmed since the grenade did not explode.

EDV