PNP commends police officers in special election boards

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) commended yesterday police officers who served in special election boards (SEBs) in the midterm elections.

PNP chief Gen. Rommel Marbil conferred the Medalya ng Kadakilaan or Heroism Medal to the officers during a tribute and awarding ceremony at Camp Crame.

Marbil said 3,698 officers were deployed for SEBs in areas where the boards of election inspectors were unable to perform their duties due to various reasons. A majority of the officers were assigned in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“Kadakilaan is a risk of life so we have to pin it,” Marbil told reporters in an interview after the ceremony.

Apart from the medals, Marbil said the police officers would receive cash gifts and tokens.

In his speech, Marbil lauded members of the SEB contingent for their role in ensuring the orderly conduct of elections in geographically isolated and conflict-affected areas.

“You stood on the frontlines of democracy not with firearms but with ballots,” he said. “Serving as SEBs is no ordinary assignment. It requires not only a high level of competency, but also an ironclad sense of impartiality.”