PNP goes on heightened alert, deploys 187,000 cops for polls, ‘Undas’

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) will go on heightened alert and dispatch more than 187,000 officers nationwide as the campaign starts for the Oct. 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) elections. 

The personnel deployment will extend past the election until Undas — the Filipino inclusive term for All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 and All Souls’ Day on Nov. 2, the PNP spokesperson, Col. Jean Fajardo, said in a press briefing on Wednesday.

As part of its security measures, the PNP will also intensify its checkpoint operations.

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Earlier, the PNP reported it had conducted 251,592 checkpoint operations since Aug. 28 — or a daily average of 5,800 operations.

The checkpoints were manned by police officers, along with local Commission on Elections (Comelec) officers and personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard. 

These checkpoint operations resulted in the arrest of 1,544 gun ban violators and the confiscation of 1,138 firearms.

As of Oct. 17, those with expired licenses or unlicensed firearms surrendered 1,071 firearms and turned over 1,956 guns for safekeeping. 

atm