NPD ready for start of campaign for local polls

Northern Police District (NPD) director Chief Superintendent Marcelino Franco Jr. assured Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela) residents yesterday that measures are already in place for the start of the official campaign period for local officials on March 25.

"We are all ready for the electoral exercise and ready to provide security to all political rallies," Franco told The STAR.

Since December last year, NPD operatives have seized a total of 40 assorted handguns during its intensified implementation of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban drive.

The firearms were confiscated from civilians mostly from Bagong Silang in Caloocan City, Barangay Catmon in Malabon City, Barangay San Jose in Navotas, and Barangay Ugong in Valenzuela City.

Of the seized handguns, 18 were from Caloocan City, 11 from Malabon City, three from Valenzuela City and two from Navotas.

The NPD operatives and its supporting units seized six other handguns during operations in different parts of the Camanava area.

The Northern-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (Northern-CIDG) under Superintendent Simon Fernan III, seized an improvised shotgun last Friday from one Roland Branda, 32, of Shelterville Subdivision, Bagombong, Caloocan City.

The Northern-CIDG has also intensified monitoring operations in Camanava for the possible existence of political armed groups (PAGs) in the area.

"So far, we haven’t monitored any political armed group in our area," Chief Inspector Efren Dalumpines, Northern-CIDG deputy commander, said.

Franco, on the other hand, said that no election related violence has been reported so far in Camanava, an indication that the peace and order campaign is effective.

Franco ordered his four police chiefs, Senior Superintendent Benjardi Mantele, Caloocan, Senior Superintendent Freddie Panen, Malabon, Superintendent Billy Beltran, Navotas, and Superintendent Jose Marcelo, Valenzuela, to increase police visibility patrol and conduct random checkpoints.