Power supply okay, PNP ready for polls

ALL is ready for this Monday’s Barangay ( village) and Sangguniang Kabataan ( SK) elections as the Philippine National Police ( PNP) and the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines ( NGCP) assured that security measures are in place and power supply are secured, while teachers in various regions have claimed the election paraphernalia.

Mae Roselle Curiano, of the NGCP’s Public Affairs Specialist, said they have activated the Overall Command Center since Friday and would remain until Thursday to secure power supply as contingency plans are in place to monitor and quickly address any grid disturbance.

She said the NGCP’s critical units such as the System Operations and Maintenance would remain fully staffed and their line crew, engineers, pilots, maintenance and testing and other technical personnel were also strategically positioned to respond to sudden line outages.

The Police Regional Office– 2 ( PRO12) or the Soccsksargen region deployed 6,738 policemen with about 3,052 to perform election duties, while 3,686 in anticriminality function.

Chief Supt. Marcelo Morales, PRO- 12 director said security measures are in place in South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultak Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City areas with the PNP- AFP Deployment Plan and Disposition of Quick Reaction Teams.

He said about 696 police personnel and a contingent headed by Brig. Gen. Roberto Ancao of the 1002nd Philippine Army will augment the security forces during the election. While another 90 Army soldiers from the 27th Infantry Battalion and the Joint Task Force GenSan, 19 from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and 12 from Philippine Coastguard are ready as augmentation forces.

Meanwhile in Bataan, members of the Board of Elections Inspectors ( BEI) in Samal town as well as other municipalities and Balanga City on Sunday started checking the contents of ballot boxes for this Monday’s elections.

The ballot boxes are then claimed from the municipal treasurer’s office hours before voting starts at 7 a. m. this Monday.

Samal election officer Maribeth Abadecio said they also released the cash card forms for the BEIs’ transportation allowance.

BEI members receive 50 percent or half of the P1,000 transportation allowance through Land Bank Automated Teller Machine when they get the election paraphernalia. The other half can be withdrawn with their honorarium.

The BEI chairman receives P6,000 honorarium while the poll clerk and the third member gets P5,000 each.