MEMBERS of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) cast their ballots Tuesday, April 30, ahead of the May 13 elections, as they will be deployed on Election Day to keep peace and order.
Nearly 200 police personnel across Northern Mindanao went to the regional headquarters in Camp Alagar, Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City Tuesday, April 30, to cast their votes.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Surki Sereñas, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Northern Mindanao, said the regional command has applied from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the conduct of the absentee voting.
He said there were 198 absentee voters on the list from the 296 in the last election. The voting period started at 8 a.m. and ended at 5 p.m.
"Nag-apply mi for absentee voting. Naa tay listahan sa mga absentee voters dugay na pero kung wala siya kabotar sa two consecutive elections, mawala siya sa list (We applied for an absentee voting. We have already a list of absentee voters for a long time here but if he was not able to vote in two consecutive elections, he will be removed from the list)," he said.
He said the police headquarters are encouraging its police personnel to avail themselves of the absentee voting, especially those who have difficulty voting because they were deployed in other areas.
Sereñas also said the casting of the ballots is done manually.
He said absentee voting for police personnel is important, so policemen who were deployed to different polling centers for security will no longer leave their respective posts to vote.
He also said around 98 percent of police personnel will have to be deployed during the election day, and that those who cannot avail themselves of the absentee voting will have to go to their polling precincts early in the morning of May 13, so they can proceed to their position to provide security and safety of the voters.
Meanwhile, 99 soldiers from 30th Infantry "Python" Battalion (30IB) also voted at their headquarters on April 29 in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Placer, Surigao del Norte.
Based on Comelec Resolution 10443, the Local Absentee Voting is open for those who work in the government but will be deployed or assigned to work elsewhere away from their designated polling precincts.
Lieutenant Colonel Allen Raymund C Tomas, commanding officer of 30IB, said "everyone has their right to vote even us soldiers, we will exercise our right of suffrage and vote for the rightful senators and party list and remain non-partisans as we perform our mandates and task
for a fair, safe and peaceful election."
Under absentee voting, the police and military can only vote for candidates seeking national elective posts such as senators and a partylist representative, as they could not vote for local candidates.