Isabela Mayor Joselito Malabor yesterday revealed he requested the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) to augment the town’s existing police force ahead of the upcoming midterm elections on May 13.

Malabor said he has already submitted a written request but followed up on the matter with NOPPO director, Police Senior Superintendent Romeo Baleros, when the latter visited the locality recently.

Malabor said the Isabela police station is “undermanned” and they are in need of an additional eight police officers.

He has also asked for one officer to be relieved of duty.

Meanwhile, despite Isabela being named as “an election area where there is perceived intense political rivalry,” he assured peaceful polls on election day.

The mayor affirmed there are not “outsiders” to intervene; however, he declined to elaborate on what he meant by “outsiders.”

Malabor faces Dr. Irene Montilla, the window of former Mayor Enrique Montilla III, in his race for reelection. Both candidates earlier signed a covenant committing to a peaceful election./DGB, WDJ