PNP on full alert status for mid-term elections

MANILA, Philippines — Security measures are in place for the May 12 mid-term elections, with the 235,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP) going on full alert status beginning midnight yesterday until May 15 or three days after the polls.

“Our personnel are committed to maintaining peace and order throughout the election period,” PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said in a statement.

He said police officers across the country are ready to thwart acts of violence, especially those meant to disrupt or undermine the integrity and credibility of the elections.

Marbil said the PNP is working closely with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and other government agencies to make sure the public’s right of suffrage is not compromised.

As a precaution, Marbil said he has instructed all standby support and quick reaction forces as well as regional units to always remain on guard during the election period and respond immediately to reports of any untoward incident.

Police units have also heightened their presence at polling centers and other critical areas in different regions.

In Metro Manila, National Capital Region Police Office director Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin said his command is “100 percent ready” for the elections.

He reminded police officers to remain professional and strictly adhere to police operational procedures and refrain from engaging in any form of illegal activity.

“Let us promote the sacredness of the electoral process by ensuring that we will be professional in dispensing our security duties,” Aberin said.

As election day edges closer, another Metro Manila mayoralty candidate faces disqualification – filed motu proprio by the Comelec – for uttering racist remarks during a campaign rally.

The Comelec, through its Task Force SAFE (Safeguarding Against Fear and Exclusion), filed the motu proprio disqualification petition against Pasay City mayoralty bet Editha Manguerra for her racial remarks during a campaign event last April 13.

“Wherefore, premises considered, it is most respectfully prayed of this Honorable Commission to disqualify respondent Editha Yambao Manguerra from being a candidate for the position of mayor, City of Pasay in the 2025 National and Local Elections, pursuant to Section 68 of the Omnibus Election Code (OEC), in relation to Section 261 (e) of the same Code and Section 13 of Republic Act No. 9006 or the Fair Election Act, as implemented by COMELEC Resolutions Nos. 11116 and 11127,” the petition signed by TF SAFE head director Sonia Bea Wee-Lozada, read.

Manguerra was seen and heard saying, “Let’s get rid of the Bumbay so that there is no more onion smell left lingering in Pasay Gen.”

She was referring to foreign nationals, specifically Indian students, who are studying or taking medical internship at the Pasay General Hospital.

In her answer to a show cause order, Manguerra argued that the alleged discriminatory statement was merely “an offhand comment made in response to constituents’ concerns regarding the lack of clear communication and cultural familiarity in hospital interactions at the Pasay General Hospital.”

She argued that her use of the term “Bumbay” was not intended to be derogatory or racist.

She claimed her statement was “informal, reflective of grassroots expression and devoid of any reference to an individual’s race, nationality or immigration status.”

She also maintained that her comment is not covered by Comelec Resolution No. 11127, as it was made before the promulgation of the amended resolution.

Bu the Task Force said Manguerra’s remarks directed at people of Indian descent, particularly her statement that they smell of onions, as well as her use of the derogatory term “bumbay,” are clear examples of racial discrimination and incitement – an election offense under the Comelec’s anti-discrimination guidelines.

TF SAFE pointed out that the “illegality of Respondent’s utterances does not depend on the effectivity of Comelec Resolution No. 11127 or any implementing resolution for that matter, because the prohibited act was already punishable under existing law, specifically Section 261(e) of the OEC in relation to Section 13 of the Fair Election Act.” — Rhodina Villanueva, EJ Macababbad