Philippine National Police on Full Alert for Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on Oct. 30
Manila — The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced they will be on full alert starting Saturday to ensure peaceful Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) scheduled for Oct. 30.
According to a news release by Philippines News Agency, Benjamin Acorda Jr. during a press briefing at Camp Crame, Quezon City on Friday, the alert will signal the deployment of 187,600 police personnel across the nation for election duties. Acorda added that regional commanders have the discretion to deploy personnel earlier than Saturday, depending on the peace and security situation in their respective areas.
“Our message to the public is clear: election day will remain under our control, and we will not tolerate any disruptions or threats to the peaceful exercise of your right to vote. We urge the public to cooperate and report any irregularities or security concerns,” Acorda said.
In coordination with other law enforcement agencies, the PNP is working to ensure a unified response to any incidents during the election period. As of Friday, the PNP has recorded a total of 135 election-related incidents nationwide, of which 26 have been validated. Another 24 incidents are still under validation, while 85 are categorized as unrelated to the election.
Regarding monitoring, Acorda stated that the PNP is actively collaborating with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) through data-sharing pacts and has established command centers at national, regional, provincial, and municipal levels.
In Cotabato City, Barangay Rosary Heights 12 remains under the yellow category of Comelec’s watchlist classification despite recent election-linked violence. Acorda disclosed that they have yet to receive a recommendation to change its status.
As for security classifications across the country, 361 villages are under the red category, 1,252 under the orange, 1,210 under the yellow, and 39,178 under the green, based on Comelec data. The town of Libon in Albay and the entire Negros Oriental province are now under Comelec control according to Resolution No. 10757.
Gen. Acorda also addressed the issue of extortion by the New People’s Army (NPA), stating that there have been no reports of widespread extortion under their ‘permit to campaign’ scheme except in specific areas which are still under validation. He further urged the public to report any instances of vote-buying or selling.
Since the beginning of the election period on Aug. 28, the PNP has seized a total of 1,430 firearms from 1,880 arrested gun ban violators. Additionally, 1,666 firearms have been surrendered, and another 2,325 have been deposited for safekeeping. The election period for the BSKE will end on Nov. 29.