SAFETY and security forces from the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), Task Force-Davao, and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) will be stationed across Davao City for the upcoming 2025 National and Local Elections on May 12.
A send-off ceremony was held on May 2, 2025, at Camp Capt. Domingo Leonor in San Pedro, Davao City.
Police Colonel Hansel Marantan, chief of DCPO, emphasized that the police’s role is to protect voters as they cast their ballots. He also strongly condemned vote-buying, urging citizens to reject the practice.
"Isang beses sa bawat tatlong taon na maririnig ang boses ng ating mga kababayan proteksiyonan natin ang ating mga kababayan, gabayan natin na ang boses nila ang manaig ngayon election walang mag didikta, walang magbabawal, at walang manghaharass (Once every three years, we hear the voice of our fellow citizens. Let us protect and guide them so their voice prevails. In this election, no one should dictate, prohibit, or harass)," he said.
Atty. Shajani Ebrahim, the third district election officer, recognized the critical role of security personnel in safeguarding the democratic process. She noted their importance in ensuring that voters can exercise their rights in a safe environment.
"The responsibility you carry is enormous but so is the trust the entire nation places in you. We do not doubt that you rise to the occasion just as you always have with professionalism and dedication," she said.
Ebrahim reminded the personnel that their duty goes beyond securing the election—they are also upholding the essence of democracy.
In a previous statement on April 24, Marantan announced that approximately 5,000 police officers from DCPO would be deployed across the city, with personnel assigned to polling precincts and tasked with escorting election materials.
In addition to local police, reserve forces from national support units such as the Special Action Force and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion will be on standby. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will also assist the Philippine National Police (PNP). RGP