PAMPANGA police led by Pampanga Police Provincial Director Police Colonel Arnold Thomas Ibay on Friday, October 1, 2021, deployed teams across the province to secure the safety of aspirants filing their certificates of candidacies (COCs) as the national and local election season officially kicked off.
The deployment of teams was also to ensure peace and order and enforce minimum health protocols mandated by the Inter-Agency Task Force.
In the City of San Fernando where the regional and provincial Comelec offices are located, the city police headed by Chief of Police Lieutenant Colonel John Lopez Clark held a simulation exercise on September 30, 2021 in preparation for the expected influx of candidates, which would culminate on October 8 at 5 p.m.
The team included the Explosive Ordnance Disposal, K9 Group, Bureau of Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) earlier suspended the permit to carry firearms outside residence (PTCFOR) nationwide as part of the security measures for the eight-day filing of certificate of candidacy across the country.
PNP Chief General Guillermo Eleazar said the suspension of the PTCFOR is in effect from midnight of September 30 until 7 a.m. on October 9.
“This is to ensure that the filing of COCs from October 1 to October 8 will be free from firearms-related incidents and to ensure the safety of the populace. Only members of the PNP, AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and other law enforcement agencies who are performing official duties and agency prescribed uniforms will be allowed to carry firearms,” he said in a statement.
The measure was based on a PNP memorandum circular setting the Guidelines and Procedures in Securing the Conduct of the 2022 National and Local Elections and a letter request from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The PNP chief said the restriction will be reinforced by aggressive conduct of police operations against loose firearms and members of partisan armed groups capable of carrying out violence due to intense political rivalry.
All concerned police units were directed to ensure the deployment of a sufficient number of police officers in areas where the filing of COCs will take place so they can guarantee the safety of everyone and enforce the minimum public health standards, including seeing to it that guidelines released by the Comelec regarding the filing of COCs are strictly followed. (JTD)