PRO CORDILLERA: BARANGAY AND SANGGUNIANG KABATAAN ELECTIONS 2023 GENERALLY PEACEFUL
PRO Cordillera Regional Director, PBGEN DAVID K PEREDO, JR, announced that the conduct of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election 2023 in the Cordillera region was generally peaceful as there were no reported major incidents that disrupted the national event.
With the effective security deployment plan and joint strategic initiatives of PRO Cordillera cops and other government agencies, only five validated Election Related Incidents (ERI) were recorded in the province of Abra.
With the establishment of 16,357 COMELEC checkpoints and intensified implementation of other law enforcement operations regionwide, the Regional Operations Division of PRO Cordillera recorded 25 incidents of COMELEC Resolution No. 10918 (gun ban) violations with 23 individuals arrested and 19 firearms confiscated, while three incidents of COMELEC Resolution No. 10924 (liquor ban) violations were recorded with five individuals arrested from August 27, 2023, to November 6, 2023.
It can be recalled that the Regional Director also ordered the deployment of a total of 5,536 police officers to secure voting precincts, major thoroughfares, transportation hubs, and other places of convergence before the elections started.
Consequently, troops from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Department of Education, Commission on Elections, and other volunteers were also deployed to serve as additional forces during the election.
As part of the preparations for safe, accurate, and fair elections, PRO Cordillera activated its Regional Election Monitoring and Action Center (REMAC) to monitor the progress of the election likewise the Media Action Center was co-located to serve as a line of communication among public information officers, stakeholders, and media partners in disseminating information regarding BSKE 2023.
Moreover, before the election day, PBGEN PEREDO JR. joined the Chief, PNP, PGEN BENJAMIN C. ACORDA, JR, and the Chairman of the Commission on Elections, Hon. George Erwin M. Garcia in a conference at the Bernos Hall, Abra PPO to personally oversee and assess the situation in the province where they learned that somehow, the situation was manageable with the presence of uniformed personnel.
Further, during the election day, PBGEN PEREDO JR. ocularly inspected the established Police Assistance Desks and voting precincts in the different schools around Baguio City and Benguet to ensure the welfare and readiness of police officers in the performance of their duties and responsibilities.
He also hosted press conferences and media briefings before and after the election to provide updates and advice to the public regarding the conduct of the BSKE 2023. In his statement during the press briefing, PBGEN PEREDO JR. extended his appreciation to the public for their cooperation with the heightened security measures laid down by the Cordillera police force and lauded the personnel and volunteers who patiently performed their duties to secure the safety of the public.
After the peaceful conduct of the BSK election, PRO Cordillera remains committed to ensuring peace and order in the region, accelerates its security measures, and sustains its deployment plan for the upcoming holiday season. (PRO CORDILLERA-PIO)
