PNP election hotlines in Central Luzon quiet

ENSURING PEACE AND ORDER Policemen and soldiers in Santo Tomas, Pangasinan, inspect vehicles for firearms to ensure order in today’s elections. In Central Luzon, however, hotlines set up by the police have not received any poll-related complaint during the campaign period. WILLIE LOMIBAO

The police in Central Luzon have opened hotlines for the public to report suspicious election-related activities, but police teams manning these telephone lines have yet to receive any alerts.

The mobile telephone numbers 0998-5985330 and 0917-6235700 have not taken even one report since these have been made available on May 6, according to Police Lt. Col. Fe Greñas, public information chief of the Central Luzon police.

Greñas said people have not even accessed the police social media contacts on Twitter (@rpio_pro3) and its Facebook page (PioRegionthree), although news tips on vote-buying, whether disguised or explicit, have been circulating online.

Everything is set for Monday’s midterm polls in the region, despite these issues.

Elmo Duque, assistant election supervisor in Central Luzon, said all vote-counting machines (VCM) destined for the region were delivered to all clustered precincts on Thursday.

“I have reminded our personnel on our protocol during Election Day. All security forces will keep a distance beyond the 50-meter radius from the polling and canvassing places they are assigned to secure,” Police Brig. Gen. Joel Napoleon Coronel, regional police director, said.

“No police and military personnel shall be allowed to enter or stay inside the polling and canvassing places, except when there is an actual disturbance of the peace and order,” he said.

Policemen are also prohibited from “engaging in a conversation with any voter or disturbing or obstructing in any manner the free access of the voters to the polling precincts,” he said.

Volunteers

He said 9,292 policemen had been fielded to secure the elections in the region.

In Albay province, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) is fielding 3,000 volunteers to conduct poll watching, result monitoring and validating, including the setting up of voters’ assistance desks in polling places, in three cities and 15 towns on Monday.

Aside from the volunteers, the council has organized Quick Response Teams in 45 parishes across the province to monitor, validate and respond to any election concerns that may come in, Fr. Rex Arjona, PPCRV chair, said.

Arjona said special attention would be given to the towns of Daraga and Libon and Legazpi City where election violence and sightings of armed men had been reported.

Teachers, gov’t troops ready

In Mindanao, 17,000 public school teachers had committed to serve as election inspectors in Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos), or Region 12, said Allan Farnazo, Department of Education regional director.

At least 9,300 policemen and soldiers had been deployed across the region to render security during the elections, said Police Brig. Gen. Eliseo Rasco, regional police director.

In Kidapawan City, the Commission on Elections announced voting would push through at Barangay New Bohol despite the fire that razed six classrooms that would have been used as voting precincts. A nearby day care center would host the precincts for Monday’s elections. —Reports from Tonette Orejas, Mar Arguelles, and Bong Sarmiento