MANILA — As the national election campaign officially begins on Tuesday (11 Feb 2025), the Philippine National Police (PNP) has committed to ramping up security efforts, particularly in high-risk areas, to ensure the protection of political candidates and their supporters.
Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo, PNP spokesperson, confirmed in a press conference at Camp Crame that additional security personnel will be deployed across the country to handle the expected influx of national candidates from the National Capital Region (NCR) to Visayas and Mindanao.
“We are prepared to provide security coverage for the expected arrival of national candidates in key regions. Our forces are ready for deployment from NCR to the provinces,” Fajardo said.
She explained that the PNP will be sending more personnel to 403 areas previously identified by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as areas of concern. “The PNP chief, Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, has directed that we fully utilize all available resources and personnel,” she added.
Fajardo assured that heightened security measures will be in place for areas classified as yellow, orange, and red, referring to the risk levels established by Comelec. “In high-risk areas, we will be deploying more personnel to ensure safety,” she stated.
In addition to PNP forces, regional and provincial mobile units will be mobilized in coordination with other government agencies, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
The spokesperson also emphasized the importance of maintaining smooth operations at Comelec checkpoints. “We urge our personnel to be courteous and efficient to avoid unnecessary delays for supporters and candidates passing through,” Fajardo said. “However, we also ask everyone to respect the checkpoints in place.”
The election campaign for local candidates is set to begin on March 28.
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