Thirty-two police officers from the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office (INPPO) have been deployed to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) ahead of the May 12 midterm elections.
Col. Frederick Obar, director of the INPPO, said in a media interview on Tuesday that the 32 are among the officers trained as Board of Election Inspectors by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
In his message during the send-off ceremony at Camp Capt. Valentin S. Juan in this city, Obar underscored the importance of professionalism, impartiality and dedication to duty as the guiding principles of the deployed officers to help ensure credible, orderly and peaceful elections.
He reminded them to be alert, take care of themselves and return home safely after their assignment.
According to Philippine National Police data, there are 362 areas of concern for the upcoming elections, 34 of them under “red” category or classified by the Comelec as places with serious armed threats and a history of election-related incidents.
Obar said there are no identified areas of concern in Ilocos Norte, as officially assessed by authorities.
“There is no intense political rivalry here in Ilocos Norte. That’s why, contrary to the misinformation being spread, we have no identified areas of concern in the province,” he said.
Meanwhile, the 32 officers deployed to BARMM will be replaced by 40 new recruits who will man various election precincts in the province, along with 146 members of the Quick Reaction Teams to ensure the smooth conduct of the elections. (PNA)