AFP, PNP in Masbate placed under Comelec control

SORSOGON CITY - Police and Army units in Masbate have been placed under the control of the Commission on Elections in an effort to stabilize the peace and order situation in the province, a poll official said Sunday. Armand Ricarte said the move was based on an en banc resolution passed by the Comelec. "Under the new set up Comelec will have supervision and control over police and army personnel and no troop movement could be made without the knowledge of the Comelec," he said. We want to know what are the security plans these agencies had initiated for the province to ensure an orderly and peaceful elections, he said. But Ricarte explained that the set up was different from the concept of putting the entire Masbate under Comelec control as requested by local church officials. Comelec control The election supervisor said that placing Masbate under Comelec control would mean that the Comelec commissioner to be assigned in the province would be the acting governor. The commissioner would have a say in running the province as well as all the law enforcement agencies in the province, he said. But Ricarte said the present situation does not require such action yet saying the election-related incidents that had occurred could not yet be considered as a threat to the conduct of the elections. He said that only those areas where there is a real and imminent threat to the peace and order situation in such a way that there could be failure of election are put under Comelec control. NPA is the real threat Ricarte said only the New People's Army has the capacity and capability of disrupting the elections in the province in a wide scale. But this problem is now being addressed by the Army and the special units of the PNP, he said. Ricarte said he was opposed to the request of the Catholic church in Masbate to put the province under Comelec control since it was not needed yet. "Let the law enforcement agencies work on the problem first as these incidents could still be remedied," he urged those who advocated for the control. PAGs incapable of disrupting election Ricarte said the private armed groups allegedly being maintained by local politicians were not capable of causing a failure of election. "At best, these PAGs could only mount attacks on particular targets but could not cause a failure of elections, he stressed. Ricarte said almost all politicians in Masbate have armed supporters whom they could mobilize if necessary. Well-planned security measures The election supervisor said that one way of ensuring the orderly conduct of the elections was to ensure a well-planned security measure for election officials, the candidates and at the polling precincts. Ricarte said the police must provide all election registrars and candidates in the province with sufficient security personnel to ensure that they don't feel vulnerable. That would mean providing them with seven to eight security men each, he said. “Last 2004 election, the police provided very limited security to election personnel as they (the police) required us P50, 000 for a complete security detail for each election registrar," Ricarte said. 'Let us do our job first' Senior Supt. Edgar Layon, Masbate police provincial director, also opposed the idea of placing the province under control. "Let us do our work first, and please cooperate with us as this is for the good of the Masbate, " he urged all sectors in the province. The police, Comelec and the army would have its first coordination meeting on April to discuss various concerns and to map out security measures, Layon said. - GMANews.TV