A TOTAL of 513 security personnel were deployed in various areas of Bacolod City for the May 13 elections.
The send-off ceremony was led by Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) acting director Police Colonel Henry Biñas at the BCPO headquarters in Barangay Singcang-Airport Thursday, May 9, along with officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and police station chiefs.
Also present were various religious group leaders in Bacolod City.
Deployed were 298 BCPO personnel, 80 personnel from BFP, 20 personnel from CDRRMO, and 42 personnel from 303rd and 79th Infantry Brigade.
Biñas said he is thankful for all the support of BCPO's personnel and other law enforcement agencies.
"I'd like to extend my gratitude to all of you for helping us. Make this election a very peaceful one," he said.
Biñas pointed out what President Rodrigo Duterte's message during his visit in Negros Occidental, who urged everyone especially the members of the security forces to remain neutral.
"We should be apolitical and non-partisan. According to the President, we will ensure that every voter and every citizen of this city or this island must exercise their right freely without any force," Biñas said.
Biñas also urged all the security forces to make the midterm polls a very peaceful and safe election.
For his part, Lieutenant Colonel Romulus Rabara, of 303rd IB, urged the security forces to always be impartial and always stand by their constitutional duty.
"We should always be on the highest state of readiness because we all want the elections here in Negros island to succeed," he said.
He said the peaceful election depends so much on timing, coordination and a lot of collaboration with different parties involved.
Acting Bacolod Election Registrar Ann Janette Lamban also expressed her gratitude to all the security forces on their preparations for the May 13 elections.
"I'm very thankful for all your support in the preparation. Three days more to go and that is now the final battle. The people will be going to exercise the rights and we are there to protect them," she said.
"Whatever happens to you today in the performance of you elections duties it will be different tomorrow. Bravely fulfil your duty to serve and protect. Have the legacy and the life behind this people you have touched," she added.