THE Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is urging campaigners of national candidates to coordinate with the police for security provisions, as the 90-day campaign period officially started on Tuesday, February 9.
Superintendent Noel Polines, head of BCPO's Operations Branch, said city police would provide security to candidates running for national positions, namely, president, vice president, senators, and party-list representatives, who are campaigning in Bacolod.
“It is our duty to provide uniformed personnel to ensure their safety while they are here in the city,” he said.
Polines added that police are monitoring the campaign activities of politicians.
He said that all station commanders were reminded to intensify visibility and checkpoint operations as the election campaign period heightens.
BCPO is also coordinating with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in removing illegal posters, he added.
Moreover, the Philippine National Police (PNP) also urged politicians and political parties to coordinate with them on activity planning in connection with the election campaign period.
Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor, PNP spokesperson, said political groups can tap local police to ensure peace and order during campaign meetings and rallies.
He said the local police are always ready for election duty but he reminded PNP personnel to remain non-partisan and apolitical.
Meanwhile, the PNP also expressed readiness to assist teams who would conduct “Oplan Baklas,” or the removal of election posters that are placed in prohibited areas.
Mayor said that in provinces considered election hot spots or areas of concerns, it is the local police chief's discretion to assign additional personnel to the clearing teams.
He added that PNP personnel will only provide security to clearing teams and are not allowed to take part in the removal of campaign posters.
Mayor also urged barangay officials to cooperate with the “Oplan Baklas” by not letting candidates or their supporters post campaign materials in undesignated areas. (With reports from Sunnex)