BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (PIA) – The Philippine National Police is expecting a peaceful and clean conduct of the National and Local Elections in Nueva Vizcaya on May 12.
Police Lt. Col. Ferdinand Laudencia, PNP Provincial Operations and Management Unit chief, said there were no election-related incidents reported in the province at present, Private Armed Groups and criminal syndicates that may threaten the peaceful conduct of the NLE in the 15 towns of the province.
“We have already deployed our personnel to guard various polling places in the 275 barangays of our province. We are now on alert status as we prepare for the NLE in Nueva Vizcaya,” he said.
Laudencia made the report during the recent Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment Meeting at the Provincial Capitol.
He said their personnel deployment also includes authorized police officers who will act on complaints on alleged vote-buying activities before and during the elections.
“We encourage our complainants to make an affidavit of complaint and evidence so that we can act on these accordingly, in collaboration with the officials of the Commission on Elections,” Laudencia said.
The COMELEC has earlier launched the Kontra Bigay campaign to assist and address vote-buying activities.
According to Laudencia, policemen were also deployed along the borders of the province, such as the borders with Ifugao, Benguet, Nueva Ecija, Isabela, and Quirino provinces, to ensure the conduct of a peaceful election.
“We have established coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to ensure that peaceful and meaningful elections in our province will be achieved,” he said. (BME/PIA NVizcaya)
