Comendador: CPPO is now 90% ready for May elections

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) is now 90 percent ready for the incoming May 13 elections.

CPPO director Patrocinio Comendador said they are just waiting for the augmentation force from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Central Command to be deployed in the 14 towns and three component cities identified as potential Election Watchlist Areas (EWAS).

Comendador said that as soon as the AFP contingent is ready, the security preparations would be 100 percent complete.

Lt. Mark Viceroy Enriquez, spokesperson of the Central Command, said he has yet to get details about the augmentation force because the commander of the Task Group Cebu, Col. Felix Mangyao, has yet to brief him about it.

Based on the Election Security Plan of the CPPO, three of the 17 areas considered as potential EWAS are classified as “high”.

These are the cities of Bogo and Danao and the municipality of Dumanjug.

The city of Toledo and the towns of Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remigio, Tabogon, Tabuelan, Tuburan, Compostela, Consolacion, San Fernando, Barili, Ronda, Ginatilan, and Sogod are classified as “moderate”.

According to Comendador, their classification was based on the intense political rivalries in the area and of the reported armed violence.

Comendador said that as part of their security plan, there is always police visibility, transport security, polling place security, pro-action security, concern teams, canvassing security, and reserved personnel.

The CPPO has also identified 10 areas with most voters which include cities of Talisay, Toledo, Danao, Naga and Carcar as well as the towns of Consolacion, Liloan, Minglanilla, Barili and Bantayan.

Comendador said he has provided more policemen in northern Cebu because of history of political violence.—(FREEMAN)