After COC filing, PNP to identify election ‘areas of concern’

PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez. INQUIRER.net/JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS

Once the week-long filing of candidacy ends, the Philippine National Police (PNP) will identify the “areas of concern” nationwide in anticipation of the next year’s national elections.

In an interview on Tuesday, PNP chief Director General Ricardo Marquez said the PNP is in the process of assessing threats in election hotspots and studying the “factors that impact the elections.”

“One of the parameters is: is there an intense partisan political rivalry in a certain area? We can only determine that after this week is over,” he said.

Marquez said he will meet with the director for intelligence to discuss the security coverage for the elections.

“They are going to brief me on the updates on the conduct of environmental scan and threat for elections operation. So at the moment, we can’t identify the hotspots yet. Maybe next week, we will announce it,” he said.

While the election security plan is still in the works, the PNP chief said they are proposing a security operation similar to that of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperations’.

The PNP proposed this security plan to the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Commission on Elections.

“We will commit troops and resources so our commanders there could manage the challenges that we will see in the area,” he said.

The PNP has been directed by Interior Secretary Mel Sarmiento to raise alerts in all police units following the killing of Zamboanga Sibugay Mayor Randy Climaco on the first day of filing of the certificates of candidacy. Julliane Love de Jesus/JE