PNP augments Samar police
force for election
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA
Samar)
May 2, 2007
CATBALOGAN, Samar – The
Philippine National Police will augment the Samar Police Force in time for the
election to strengthen maintenance of peace and order.
In a PNP command conference
held on Friday at the Samar Provincial Police Office in Camp Maulong, Catbalogan,
Samar, Police Senior Superintendent Arcadio Lelis who heads Task Force Honest,
Orderly and Peaceful Election (HOPE) vowed to deploy some 200 new police
recruits for the three Samar provinces.
Since Samar is considered an
'area of concern' some 100 PNP elements will be deployed while E. Samar and
Northern Samar will have some 100 PNP elements.
COMELEC Provincial Supervisor
Salvador Cruz earlier requested PNP Provincial Director Asdali Idjah Abah to
include all municipal election officers in their command conference so they can
air their concerns as regards the maintenance of peace and order in the 25
municipalities covered by
Samar.
The number of PNP forces to be
deployed in the different municipalities will then depend on the existing police
force, population and the peace and order situation, Abah said.
Samar has been considered an
area of concern due to the killings of politicians reported. However, Cruz said
that hopefully, Samar would not be like Nueva Ecija that was placed under
COMELEC control.
A week ago, a group of armed
men burned a campaign vehicle of vice-gubernatorial candidate Menandro Tiopes in
Barangay Nabong, Pinabacdao,
Samar. In the same municipality, it was reported that another
campaign vehicle of re-electionist Mayor Mario Quijano was strafed by
unidentified men.
In Tagapul-an town, PNP
operatives also arrested a candidate for vice-mayor and two others for
councilors after several high-powered firearms and ammunitions were found in
their possession.
On April 24, Sunday,
provincial and municipal candidates have signed a peace covenant which read in
part: "...not to corrupt him (voter) with money, not to impose my will upon him by
way of force or violence, threat or intimidation...."
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