Eleazar orders early start to security preparations for 2022 polls
MANILA, Philippines — Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, Philippine National Police chief, on Thursday ordered unit and area commanders to start security preparations to make sure the 2022 national polls are peaceful and orderly.
In a statement, Eleazar stressed that early preparations have been proven to be effective in preventing election-related violence and other activities that would compromise the integrity of polls.
He said in Filipino that poll preparations include "the monitoring and accounting, not only of private armed groups but also of loose firearms that may be used in threats and sabotage to influence the results of the elections."
The PNP said that this means that police intelligence and area commanders are expected to monitor for expired firearms licenses and unregistered guns in their areas.
Eleazar also wants to focus on the presence of armed groups based on data from past elections, the statement added.
The PNP chief said he will start coordinating with the Armed Forces of the Philippines for security in areas with a high presence of armed groups, including the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
Eleazar noted that the CPP-NPA-NDF has been accused of extortion for access in areas where they usually operate.
“We have to make sure that they would be denied of this illegal activity so it is really important that we start early to study and anticipate any threat to the elections next year,” he also said.
Earlier this week, Eleazar said they will provide assistance to "strike a balance" between their fight against the CPP-NPA-NDF and the commitment to respect the rights of the Filipino people.
He also said that "in fighting communist insurgency in the country, we in the PNP believe that we have to present better ideas that focus on winning back the trust and confidence of those who fell prey to this failed ideology." The comments were in response to use a version of "Oplan Tokhang" against leftists in the Cordillera region.
Being a leftist is not illegal in the Philippines.
The PNP chief has earlier tapped commanders to help secure voters’ registration at the Commission on Elections, as the poll body extended hours for sign-ups to 7:00 p.m. — Kristine Joy Patag
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