PNP beefs up security for upcoming mid-term polls

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The Philippine National Police (PNP) has started beefing up security, particularly in 15 "priority provinces" where election violence may erupt during the May 13 mid-term elections, a senior government official said today.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel Roxas II said that all leave privileges of the 148,000- strong policemen would be cancelled from May 6 to 20 and there will be maximum deployment of legal officers.

To maximize deployment of their men in the field on May 13, which is the election day, Roxas said that his office and the PNP had ordered the recall of some 11,693 police recruits from training centers. They will be deployed to the Commission on Elections' 15 priority provinces, he added.

Ten provinces in Northern Philippines were listed in the priority areas or so-called "hot spots"; one in central Philippines; and four in southern Philippines, Roxas said.

The provinces were considered hot spots because of the threat of armed groups, the presence of loose firearms, and intense political rivalries, among others, he explained.

Roxas said that from January to April 26 this year, the PNP has recorded 17 validated election-related violent incidents (ERVIs), much lower than the 33 that recorded in the 2010 synchronized polls, and 23 incidents in the 2007 mid-term elections.

In the 15 priority provinces, Roxas said 17 victims (12 killed, 4 wounded, 1 unharmed) of ERVIs were recorded from January 10 to April 26, 2013. This number, he explained, is considerably lower than the 53 victims recorded in 2010 elections and 47 victims in 2007.

The ambush in Nunungan town in Lanao del Norte on April 25 where there were 12 people who were killed and 11 were wounded, including the mayor, could not be considered as election-related because the motive of the incident was clan war due to land dispute and blood debts, Roxas explained.

"This means such incident could transpire even there is no election," he added.