500 police, soldiers readied for Bohol village polls

A send-off ceremony was held on Tuesday morning at Plaza Rizal in Tagbilaran City, Bohol, for troops who will be deployed to secure the May 14 polls. Leo Udtohan/Inquirer Visayas

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol – About 500 police and military personnel would be deployed to election hotspots in Bohol province and secure the May elections.

Veronico Petalcorin, acting director of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Central Visayas, reminded the troops to do what is right.

“I hope that each and every one of us [will] be guided by the shortest but the longest sermon in the world. The message is ‘Keep Right.’ Keep right meaning you have to do what is right and continue doing what is right,” Petalcorin said during the send-off ceremony on Tuesday (May 8) morning at Plaza Rizal in this city.

For doing what is right, the Comelec would protect them, he said.

The ceremony was attended by provincial officials.

At least 18 villages in Bohol province were recommended to be placed under the election watchlist areas (EWA) for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls.

Provincial election supervisor Eliseo Labaria said these villages had a history of election-related violence during the past elections and intense partisan rivalry.

“The purpose of determining the hotspots is to augment forces and to give focus on the area,” said Petalcorin.

Labaria said the Bohol Provincial Police Office would deploy more personnel in areas identified as election “hotspots” to boost security measures. /lb