This was the order of the Philippine National Police (PNP) high command to members of the so-called "Camp Crame swivel-chair brigade" who were given vital peacekeeping duties for election day tomorrow.
PNP operations chief Director Edgar Aglipay said no less than chief superintendents and directors — the equivalent of brigadier and major generals — have been deployed to vital regions nationwide to assume duties as peace and order supervisors.
"It will be a peaceful exercise on Monday because one- or two-star generals from Crame will be deployed to all regions," Aglipay said.
As peace and order supervisors, Aglipay said the swivel-chair brigade will supervise troop deployments and oversee security arrangements with the special power to decide on security matters before, during and after the polls.
All regional police directors within their jurisdiction are required to report directly to them, Aglipay said.
Aglipay said the swivel-chair brigade was deployed in the following areas:
• Ilocos Region and Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR) — Director Reynaldo Velasco.
• Cagayan Valley and Central Luzon — Director Thompson Lantion.
• Southern Tagalog and Bicol Region — Director Cecilio Penilla.
• Eastern, Central and Western Visayas — Chief Superintendent Efren Fernandez.
• Western and Southern Mindanao — Chief Superintendent Victor Signey.
• Central Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao — Chief Supt. Florencio Fianza.
• National Capital Region — Director General Leandro Mendoza and Director Edgar Aglipay.
Although elements of the swivel-chair brigade hold key staff positions at PNP headquarters, they are called so because they are seldom seen in the field because their duties confine them to their offices, Aglipay said.
"The Chief, PNP (Mendoza) is tapping the services of everybody just to ensure honest, orderly and peaceful elections come Monday," Aglipay said, stressing the deployment of high-ranking officials is part of the PNP’s commitment to help ensure credible elections.
Mendoza also created Task Force Diamond, composed of several regional and provincial mobile force battalions and Special Action Force units for deployment in hot spots in Mindanao and central Visayas.
Mendoza said Task Force Diamond elements will be equally distributed in Central Mindanao, Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and in Central Visayas which have already been tagged as prone to election violence. — Jaime Laude