12K cops, 5K soldiers to keep WV polls peaceful

ILOILO City – To ensure peace and order while voters cast their ballots today, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) is mobilizing 12,000 personnel.

The Philippine Army is doing the same with some 5,000 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) personnel.

On the other hand, the Philippine Coast Guard i s mobilizing 600 personnel.

“We have men in every voting center,” said Police Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis, PRO- 6 information officer.

H e r e m i n d e d p o l i c e personnel assigned in the polling centers that they are only allowed to secure the perimeter; they are not allowed to enter polling precincts.

“I also remind our personnel to remain neutral. Indi sila pwede mag istorya sa mga kandidato kay basi masal- an. Dapat mag-focus sila sang pagsecure,” Solis added.

On the other hand, 3ID commander Major General Benedict Arevalo clarified that “despite deploying more troops to augment the PNP, we have more soldiers in combat mode to run after rebels.”

As per the latest meeting of the Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC) chaired by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Solis said the areas of concern in the region remain at 44; four are classified as yellow, 35 as orange, and five as red.

Yellow means the area has a previous record of electionrelated incidents (ERI); orange for those with previous ERI and with threats from armed groups; and red for areas with a history of violence./