Labor Day alert preps PNP for Election Day

ALL IN THE DETAILS. An artist takes Labor Day issues by the horns as he prepares an effigy of President Aquino for the May 1 rally of the Kilusang Mayo Uno. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

The police are on full alert nationwide for today’s observance of Labor Day and the final week leading to the May 9 elections.

The head of the Philippine National Police directorate for operations, Chief Supt. Jonathan Ferdinand Miano, ordered all regional offices and national support units to raise their alert level effective 6 a.m. Saturday.

The order covers police offices in Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which were directed to maintain the full alert status already being implemented in their areas.

The regional police in southern Philippines have been on the highest security alert status since the latter part of April in view of the anniversary of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

Starting Saturday, all police directors and unit commanders were also directed to conduct ocular inspections, walk-through rehearsals and simulation exercises “to test the readiness” of their forces in preparation for the May 9 elections.

All offices at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, have been ordered to conduct a daily accounting of personnel. The full alert status also entails the cancellation of leaves.

Police officers who took advantage of the local absentee voting period set by the Commission on Elections this year for government officials and state security forces will be on duty on May 9.

According to the PNP Public Information Office, of the 363 Camp Crame-based personnel who registered for absentee voting, 171 cast their votes from April 27 to 29. Jaymee T. Gamil