By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) will be deploying 517 personnel on Monday, May 14, to oversee security for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

BCPO spokesperson, Police Senior Inspector Armilyn Vargas, said personnel will be assigned to secure the 45 polling precincts across the city.

They have also created strategic control points, where officers are placed on standby and will serve as a reactionary force for cluster precincts.

Vargas also revealed, the five police mobile units recently distributed by Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6) would be used as part of the deployment, pointing out they will eventually be handed over to five police stations once the election period is over.

She added, they also received instructions from BCPO director, Police Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo, informing officers they are not allowed to hold, touch, or carry ballot boxes and that transportation would be handled by board of election canvassers only.

Cops are also not allowed to be inside vehicles where ballot boxes are being carried.

Aside from the 517 police officers, poll security will also be overseen by 84 personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection and 585 from the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.

Meanwhile, the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) will be deploying 124 officers to polling precincts, while 244 will be assigned to their standby quick reaction team.

PRO-6 will also be augmenting the city force with 136 officers.

ICPO operations chief, Police Superintendent Jowel Saliba, urged the public to report anything unusual occurring at polling stations.

“If you notice something that is unusual within your area, please help the ICPO by immediately reporting to police personnel,” the ICPO official said./DGB, WDJ