Police commanders told: Talk to your politicians

CEBU, Philippines - Aiming for peaceful elections, the newly-installed police director of Central Visayas instructed city and municipal police commanders to initiate a meeting with politicians in their respective areas of responsibility regarding the May 2016 polls.

“My instruction to all ground commanders is to step up on the campaign against proliferation of firearms and also to initiate dialogues and activities such as a peace covenant among all candidates,” said Chief Superintendent Manuel Gaerlan, the new director of Police Regional Office-7.

He said election candidates should engage in a friendly competition and that violence should never be considered in any way.

“Hindi dapat na unang-una ay bubunot kaagad ng baril. Huwag na magbarilan,” he said.

Gaerlan said if these politicians can settle their differences through peaceful means, then they should at least try to do it.

He also called on other concerned sectors that could help the Philippine National Police in the endeavor.

“We are requesting the support of all sectors so that we can mitigate any differences between and among candidates,” he said.

Gaerlan also instructed chiefs of police and city and provincial police directors in Central Visayas to involve the community as far as reporting of the presence of firearms and armed groups in their areas is concerned.

“Limited po ang ating police force. And if these policemen will be supported by the community in this campaign against loose firearms, then tulong-tulong po tayo and hopefully we can have peaceful elections in region seven,” said Gaerlan.

As of yesterday, PRO-7 has not come up with a list of political hotspot areas in the region as it has yet to hold a tripartite meeting with the Commission on Elections-7 and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Gaerlan said they are still at the validation stage since they could not just base the identification of hotspot areas on historical records.

He said incidents during the previous elections may not be currently applicable considering that armed persons are highly mobile and may transfer from one place to another.

Further, the new PRO-7 director pointed out that they are not taking for granted the heightened campaign against illegal drugs.

“It has been my policy. No compromise po ako sa illegal drugs. I will not lift a finger even for my relatives when it comes to illegal drugs. The only thing I can assist my friends or relatives is to give them a lawyer,” said Gaerlan. — Ma. Fatima R. Secuya/NSA (FREEMAN)