Central Visayas, Negros Occidental task force for barangay, youth polls activated

CEBU CITY — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has convened its Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC) in Central Visayas and Negros Occidental in preparation for the Barangay and Sanggunian Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Oct. 30.

Lawyer Lionel Marco Castillano, Comelec-Central Visayas regional director, on Friday presided over the first command conference at the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) based in Cebu City to tackle guidelines for establishing checkpoints as the election period begins on Aug. 28, also the start of the implementation of the gun ban.

Castillano urged law enforcement agencies of their sworn duty to ensure peaceful, safe, and orderly elections.

There are more than seven million voters in 3,003 villages in Central Visayas.

Election officers of the province and the three highly urbanized cities of Cebu, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu attended the conference to help the joint task force in plotting measures that would secure the polls in their respective jurisdictions.

Other law enforcement agencies also sent their representatives to the activation of the regional command conference, with the Army’s 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, Brigadier General Joey Escanillas, leading the contingent from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Officials from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) also participated in the meeting.

Dominico Petalcorin, Comelec-7 assistant regional director, said they wanted to make sure that the voice of the people would be carried out.

“We, the Comelec, the police, the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), the PCG, and all other government agencies are here to meet to form rules in ensuring that the the people’s will prevails,” he said.

The security council also discussed the implementation of the election gun ban that would run from Aug. 28 to Nov. 29, as well as the guidelines related to the transfer or appointment of officers and employees in the civil service, which shall be observed during the election period.

Among the issues to be tackled in the coming command conferences of the RJSCC is the situation in Negros Oriental where a spate of violence took place, including the killing of Gov. Roel Degamo and nine others on March 4.

On Aug. 25, the poll body also activated the Negros Occidental Provincial Joint Security Control Center to strengthen security measures for the election period that starts Monday and ends on November 29.

The filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the Oct. 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) starts on Monday and ends on Sept. 2.

Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria, Col. Leo Pamittan, provincial police director and Brigadier General Orlando Edralin, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, led a provincial coordinating conference at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City to activate their security plan.

Joint Commission on Elections, Philippine National Police and Philippine Army checkpoints would be conducted province wide starting Monday, Ananoria said.

“The ban on the carrying of firearms or other deadly weapons in public places will also start on Monday,” he said.

However, he said law enforcers would not be allowed to check the contents of bags and open trunks of vehicles in compliance with the plain view doctrine.

Pamittan said that aside from the actual checkpoint area, both ends of the road where it is located would have perimeter security and motorcycle cops to pursue vehicles that attempt to escape.

“The checkpoints will be conducted simultaneously in every local government unit so it will be easy to catch fleeing vehicles,” he said.

Ananoria said government employees who file COCs will be deemed automatically resigned.

He warned candidates against premature campaigning as the campaign period is set on October 19 to 28 yet.

It will be up to the management of media outlets to decide whether they would allow personnel running for BSKE posts to continue working. However, the Comelec would monitor media men running for office to ensure that they do not use their media outlets to campaign, Ananoria said.

He said candidates should ensure that their COCs are properly filled up, signed, notarized with documentary stamps, and their photos attached.

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