COMELEC NCR Regional Election Director Atty. Jubil Surmieda graces the Nationwide Multi-Sectoral Peace Assembly initiative of the NCRPO as the Guest of Honor and Keynote Speaker. (Photo Courtesy: Janna Pineda/PIA-NCR)
QUEZON CITY, (PIA) — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) on Monday, October 16, enjoined various stakeholders in a Multi-Sectoral Peace Assembly aimed at delivering holistic peacebuilding efforts amidst the upcoming 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE).
Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Regional Election Director Atty. Jubil Surmieda recognized the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and other law enforcement agencies as active partners in ensuring the maintenance of peace, order, and public safety during the conduct of elections.
“Our partners, the men and women in uniform, are just as important as the COMELEC in the election. It is their unwavering dedication that ensures the purity of this democratic process, safeguarding the integrity of our elections and upholding the rule of law,” said Surmieda during his keynote address.
Surmieda also underscored the crucial role of the law enforcement body in helping the COMELEC achieve a zero failure of elections by protecting the voters from oppression and other irregularities that hinder the full realization of their right to suffrage.
“The AFP and PNP shoulder a significant responsibility in maintaining security and enforcing laws towards ensuring that the electoral process is transparent and reflective of the will of the people,” he added.
“As we prepare for the upcoming elections, let us not forget the immense responsibility that lies on each of our shoulders, but let us also recognize that this responsibility comes with an opportunity for every Filipino to make their voice heard, to shape the course of our nation’s future,” he concluded, encouraging the peacekeepers to continue upholding their commitment as civil servants despite the challenging threats to democracy.
To formalize the multipartite collaboration between the sectoral leaders and representatives towards a secure BSKE 2023, a Pledge of Commitment was signed during the peace assembly.
The signatories of the collective statement of commitment include Department of Education (DepEd) NCR Regional Director Wilfredo Cabral, Department of the Interior and Local Government Assistant Regional Director Ana Lyn Baltazar-Cortez, and other stakeholders representing the national government agencies such as the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM), Joint Task Force (JTF) NCR, and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), among others.
Representatives from civil society organizations (CSOs) including the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) and faith-based groups also signed the pledge to extend mutual support for crime-free BSKE.
“We willingly and fervently support the Philippine National Police (PNP), its policies, programs and advocacies, as they aspire for a Secure, Accurate, Free, and Fair BSKE towards reinforcing a strong foundation of democracy,” the statement of commitment read.
“We vehemently denounce all forms of lawlessness and acts that undermine the integrity of this election for the success of the BSKE 2023,” it added.
The conduct of the 2023 BSKE is scheduled on October 30.
It can be recalled that the PNP launched the Police Open Academy Portal in August 2023 to facilitate the security training of the Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF) and other personnel who will be deployed on election-related assignments. (PIA-NCR)
