MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed 9,435 officers to provide security for the Sept. 14 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame on Thursday, PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co said the Police Regional Office (PROs) BARMM deployed 4,361 personnel for the polls.
READ: BARMM poll preparations 98% complete – DILG
Another 5,074 personnel were deployed by other police regional offices, the Maritime Group, Highway Patrol Group, Explosives Ordnance Disposal Group and Special Action Force.
Of the total deployment, 4,313 officers will secure voting centers, while 208 will be assigned to Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices and 218 to local treasurer’s offices.
Meanwhile, Co added that 856 of the deployed personnel will mount checkpoint operations throughout BARMM; while 2,120 will be assigned to quick reaction force teams and 352 will be assigned to civil disturbance management teams.
Co also noted that 1,368 of the deployed police officers were trained by Comelec to serve on the Special Electoral Board in areas where the commission’s personnel and local teachers could not oversee the polls.
“Mayroon tayong contingency plans in place for any threat. Lahat naman ng ganito ay tinitingnan natin,” the PNP public information chief maintained.
(We have contingency plans in place for any threat. We are looking at everything.)
“If there are any threats or anything that will hinder the conduct of a peaceful election, we are ready for any eventuality,” he added.
On Wednesday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla and PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. held a command conference to review security preparations.
Remulla previously said law enforcement was “98 percent ready” for the polls.
A total of 80 seats in the BARMM Parliament will be contested in the Sept. 14 elections./dp
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