Wednesday, January 10, 2007 Police, poll body aim for peaceful May elections By Liway C. Manantan-Yparraguirre
SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union -- The Police Regional Office (PRO) 1 hosted on Tuesday a PNP-Commission on Elections (Comelec) coordinating conference in line with the upcoming election period.
La Union Provincial Elections Officer Marino Salas attended the meeting to represent the Comelec. He discussed with Police Regional Director Leopoldo Bataoil and other police officials from the different units based in the region measures to ensure a peaceful and orderly elections in May.
PRO 1 is the first police regional office from all over the country to hold such activity.
Bataoil said they organized the assembly in compliance with PNP Chief Oscar Calderon's directive to enforce "Oplan Hope (Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Election)." He said it is important that the police officers are enlightened and updated on the Comelec guidelines.
Police provincial directors in the region have been tasked to hold with their counterpart Comelec officials a similar activity in their respective areas of responsibility.
"(Gen.) Calderon emphasized in our recent command conference the importance of the PNP in the electoral exercise in support to efforts of the election body. I expect that the PNP would have its hands full of various tasks that will be put on our shoulders," Bataoil said.
"The PNP will be at the forefront of peacekeeping efforts and in the implementation of various Comelec resolutions, including the implementation of gun ban, checkpoints, concerns on politicians' bodyguards, dismantling of private armed groups, confiscation of loose firearms and many others. But definitely, we will not do anything that is not prescribed by the Comelec," he said.
Bataoil hoped that the police officers would exercise fair judgment and due discretion.
Salas, for his part, said the Comelec gun ban will take effect on January 14. Airgun, grenades and other deadly weapons are included in the ban.
He said police personnel are only allowed to carry their firearms provided that they are in proper uniform, they are discharging their official function, and when they are traveling from their house to place of work (or vice versa).
"The rationale behind is that members of law enforcement agencies must be properly identified to private individuals," said Salas who added that the gun ban also covers members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), military reservists, and security guards.
He said the election ban that would last until June 30 also covers the detail, transfer or reassignment of police personnel from one unit to another.
Exemption to the rule, he said, is an instance wherein a relative of the police chief in a certain city or town files a certificate of candidacy for mayor or vice mayor. He said the police chief should be transferred and that request for transfer only needs the approval of a provincial election officer and not the Comelec.
On the other hand, police officers who opt to run for an elective position are deemed resigned upon filing of his certificate of candidacy. (Sunnex)
