Over 1,000 checkpoints set up for barangay, SK polls

(Updated 5:16 p.m.) Over a thousand police and military checkpoints have been set up across the country to maintain security for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on October 25, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Sunday. These more or less 1,300 checkpoints were set up to further intensify the enforcement of the nationwide gun ban and contain the movement of partisan armed groups, according to PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. More checkpoints may be set up as election day approaches depending on the assessment of the intelligence units of both the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Cruz said. He said these additional checkpoints may be established on at least 2,300 barangays (villages) where poll-related violent incidents would likely to erupt. Cruz said Western Visayas region has the most number of checkpoints set up with 174, followed by Eastern Visayas with 147. Many areas in these regions are being considered for the declaration of election hot spots due to intense political rivalry and presence of threat groups, particularly the New People’s Army (NPA). Cruz said Cagayan Valley Region had already set up 47 checkpoint areas, Cordillera Administrative Region with 78, MIMAROPA (Mindoro provinces, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) with 59, Bicol region with 44, Central Visayas with 68, Zamboanga Peninsula region with 60, Northern Mindanao with 92, Southern Mindanao with 42, Central Mindanao with 53, CARAGA region with 56 and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with 36. Cruz said the operation units of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Ilocos region, Central Luzon and CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) have yet to submit their reports. Nearly 10,000 policemen were already sent to the field to man the checkpoints that were already set up, he said. The military is expected to deploy the same number of soldiers. Based on the Joint Letter Directive signed in Camp Crame with top officials of the PNP, the AFP and the Commission on Elections, the military is tasked to deploy personnel to serve as backup in every checkpoint areas that will be set up by the police. Cruz said the main focus of setting up of checkpoint is to prevent the proliferation of loose firearms which are commonly used in election related violent incidents. As of Sunday, a total of 10 people, including a rookie jail guard, were arrested since the nationwide gun ban was implemented at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. The gun ban will be lifted at midnight on November 10. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the gun ban would boost efforts to ensure peaceful and orderly elections as it would help in keeping loose firearms off the streets. “The PNP under the command of Chief PNP Raul Bacalzo is in charge of implementing the gun ban and we expect them to comply with their duties under the law... Nagpakalat na sila ng mga police around Metro Manila para ma-ensure iyung mga lalabag sa gun ban ay ma-apprehend at para ma-confiscate kung sakaling mahulihan at may loose firearms to prevent violence within the period and in preparation for the upcoming elections," she said in an interview on Radyo ng Bayan Sunday. (The PNP has deployed its men in Metro Manila to ensure that those who would violate the gun ban would be apprehended and their firearms confiscated within the period in preparation for the upcoming elections.) - KBK, GMANews.TV