Cops deployed to critical areas

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Police Office has deployed Quick Reaction Teams across the province to augment police forces on Election Day, especially in local government units identified as Election Watchlist Areas.

CPPO Director, Senior Supt. Clifford Gairanod, said the deployment is in anticipation of the movements of guns, goons, and gold.

Gairanod said their biggest challenge is the presence of private armed groups, persistent reports of which they are now tracking and validating.

He said these private armed groups might be used by some unscrupulous individuals to sow fear among voters.

The LGUs identified as EWAS are Bogo City and the towns of Carmen, Dumanjug, Daanbantayan, Medellin, Tuburan, and San Fernando.

The QRT consists of police officers from the Provincial Public Safety Company of CPPO, most of whom are trained Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) personnel.

The QRT will conduct checkpoint and chokepoint operations to ensure security before, during and after May 9.

The teams may also be pulled out of their assignments and deployed to areas in the event of physical conflict. The teams are divided by sectors, north and south, and an area's voting population. The teams for Bantayan and Camotes were deployed ahead last Friday.

With the regional police now on full alert status, Gairanod said he has made the rounds in the police stations to check if all commanders and personnel are all working. No one is allowed to take a leave of absence.

"Nituyok ko sa mga estasyon to check if the officers are committing lapses kaya tong i-relieve. I-check sad nato kung naa pa ba diha ang personnel kung wala diha nganong wala diha," he said.

Augmentation force

Aside from the QRT, policemen from Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu will also be deployed to different areas in the province today as augmentation forces.

Senior Supt. Jonathan Cabal, chief of the Mandaue City Police Office, said at least 130 cops from Mandaue will be deployed while Lapu-Lapu Police chief, Senior Supt. Arnel Libed, said at least 145 of his men will help guard the elections.

In Talisay City, Supt. Germano Mallari, chief of the Talisay Police, the city is on alert with the arrival of the Voting Counting Machine (VCM). He said that once the machines arrived, they will be subjected to inventory before distribution to polling centers.

The following day, Comelec officials will check the machines' functionality before they will be secured.

"Dinhi na magsugod ang atong pwersa sa pagbantay sa mga makina hangtud nga mahuman ang piniliay. Dili nasab sila pwedeng mag-civilian attire kundi mag-uniporme na aron dili masaypan nga mga private army o goons," Mallari said.

He said the city police have 10 more policemen to help secure the elections. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has also offered to help secure Talisay on Election Day.

Mallari said that while Talisay does not have a history of violent elections, they cannot afford to be complacent.

"Ang eleksyon usa ka adlaw ra busa dili nato palabihun ang atong gibati sa paglaban sa atong kandidato. Kung mudaug maayo pero ug dili, aw maningkamot sa sunod," Mallari said.

Mobile CCTV

Cebu City, for its part, will bless its mobile command control center this Friday.

Dave Tumulak, head of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, said control center will be a vehicle that will roam around the city and take footages on election day.

 "Ang command control center kay capable ni siya sa tanan communication sa mga enforcers, capable pud siya sa communication sa tanan nga mga barangays," Tumulak said.

 He said mobile CCTV will be most useful in responding to emergencies. — /JMO (FREEMAN)