PNP readies 2019 poll security
Security preparations for the midterm elections next year will come early in the wake of the series of killings that already left two mayors and a vice mayor dead in just a span of one week.
Director General Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said he had al-
ready directed all police commanders around the country to draft their respective security plans for the mid-term elections in May, 2019.
“In view of the killings of local chief executives, I am directing the command group and the regional directors to review and launch early security measures ahead of the 2019 mid-termelections,” said Albayalde.
“This includes intensifying police visibility, random checkpoints, and focused law enforcement operations to prevent commission of election-related violence,” he added.
Following the order, police commanders, down to the town police chiefs, are expected to map out their respective election security plans that are expected to be submitted to their provincial directors and later to regional directors.
Regional directors are expected to consolidate the election security measures in their respective areas, and their inputs would be included in the overall strategy that would be crafted by police think tank at the national headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Part of the election security preparations are the identification of possible election hot spots based on history of violence in the past polls, analysis of local politics situation based on the personalities that would run for elective posts, and the identification of private armed groups.
“The order includes directive to all provincial directors and chiefs of police to coordinate closely with the local chief executives and other stakeholders to ensure that security and safety measures would have the broad support of the community,” said Albayalde.
Normally, election security is implemented before or during election gun ban period. Also, security measures are also being intensified once the filing of certificates of candidacy is done in October.
Albayalde, however, stressed that his order for early election preparations should not be misconstrued as panic mode for the PNP amid intense criticisms questioning the capability of the police on peace and order in the wake of the killings of local officials.
Based on the PNP data, at least 16 mayors and vice mayors have already been killed since July, 2016, some of them are being linked to the illegal drugs trade, which President Duterte has been talking tough since Day One of his assumption of office.
But this is not a cause for alarm, as far as Albayalde is concerned. He said they do not see any pattern or link to the killings of Mayor Antonio Halili of Tanauan City, Mayor Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio in Nueva Ecija and Vice Mayor Alexander Lubigan of TreceMartirez in Cavite.
“It is not alarming, this (early election preparations) is part of our preventive measures, target hardening measures to prevent possible occurrence of these incidents in the forthcoming midterm elections,” said Albayalde.
Killing season
While saying that the series of killings of officials are mere coincidental, Albayalde said that they will not take any more chances in ensuring the safety of the incumbent, candidates, and even their supporters.
He stressed this as he insinuated that the election in the Philippines is always marred by shooting incidents that victimize candidates, incumbent officials, and supporters before, during, and after the election day.
“So, tingin ko po (I think), the more plausible explanation behind this is it's really political season in the Philippines,” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
“We really do not understand why there are a lot of shooting incidents involving the losers, supporters, and even the winners,” said Albayalde.
“This is the very reason (preparations are being done early) to prevent this election to be bloody. There is really a trend that every election, there are incidents. So I think it is not too early, the earlier the better,” he added.
Gun-for-hire
Albayalde also disclosed Monday that they are now conducting intense planning and intelligence-gathering for the launching of a massive crackdown against gun-for-hire syndicates.
He said that unlike in Mindanao and some parts of the Visayas wherein Partisan Armed Group (PAGs) do the dirty job for politicians, the practice in Luzon is to tap gun-for-hire syndicates to eliminate their competitors.
Albayalde explained that private armed groups are usually being managed by a certain VIP (very important person), most especially a politician or an elected official. On the other hand, a gun-for-hire criminal usually works if they are paid by a certain individual.
“We have at least 78 [PAGs] nationwide,” Albayalde bared, citing a watchlist which he said was validated by the Directorate for Intelligence.
Since most of the PAGs are in Mindanao and only some are believed to be operating in Luzon and Visayas areas, Albayalde said gun-for-hire criminals are the next best options of the masterminds behind the series of killings.
It was recalled that in the case of a priest in Nueva Ecija, police claimed that a gun-for-hire assassin was contracted for the kill.
The hiring of gun-for-hire syndicates is also being eyed in the cases of three slain local executives.
Albayalde said that police are monitoring a little over one million loose firearms which are commonly used by these kinds of criminals as it would be difficult for authorities to trace unlicensed guns.
Loose firearms are the types of guns believed to have been used by the suspects in the killings of Tanauan City, Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili; General Tinio, Nueva Ecija Mayor Ferdinand Bote; and Trece Martires, Cavite Vice Mayor Alexander Lubigan last week. (With a report from Martin A. Sadongdong)