“Can the police keep the elections honest and orderly?”
“Can the police keep the elections honest and orderly?”
Just a few weeks ago, not quite a few supporters prodded Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar to run for senator. He would have retired a month early to beat the deadline for filing the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) that ends today, October 8.
The PNP Chief dismissed the clamor and said he would rather finish his term upon turning 55 years old on November 13.
In a timely fashion last weekend, General Eleazar issued a directive to the 220,000 members of the country’s police force to avoid getting involved in partisan politics in connection with the May 9, 2022 elections.
Once more, over 63 million Filipinos will go to the polls and decide who will fill the 18,180 positions up for grabs in the national down to the municipal levels of government.
General Eleazar sounded off the directive that should serve as a fair warning to all policemen as the election bug spread nationwide during the filing of COCs this past week.
In the midst of the world history’s worst pandemic, this election season will not be any less suspenseful, thrilling and heart-stopping than any such exercise of our favorite past time before.
Pursuant to election law, the Eleazar reaffirmed PNP’s commitment to continuously isolate the PNP from partisan politics.
“I have already instructed all chiefs of police to start the accounting of their respective personnel whose relatives have already filed their COCs or would certainly run for public office,” Eleazar said.
The PNP Chief said policemen may need to be reassigned to other areas outside the cities, municipalities and provinces where their relatives seek elective posts.
In the past, there have been numerous complaints and reports about some policemen who actively campaigned for their relatives, even committing harassment to coerce voters into supporting their favored candidates.
Not quite a few uniformed men have served as goons of rich and powerful political clans in different regions of the country.
While most of the allegations are not true, reassigning police officers would shield them from harassment and from being victims of false charges, Eleazar said.
We all know the vital role of the PNP is peacekeeping and maintaining order during the months leading to the campaign period and the day of the elections.
PNP personnel must keep out and may step in only when called by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to quell any activities that disturb the orderly conduct of the election.
Currently, the PNP personnel primarily serve as the front-liners in the enforcement of the public health protocols set by the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) on COVID-19 crisis.
General Eleazar said the candidates themselves should set an example to their supporters in observing health standards even during their political rallies.
He has also urged both the candidates and voters to reject the demands of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) to collect “payment for permit-to-campaign” and report any of such activities to the local PNP authorities.
President Duterte earlier called on politicians to avoid violence, especially in remote areas.
To help keep the upcoming elections honest, clean and orderly, the PNP chief ordered all regional and provincial directors to exercise vigilance against saboteurs and implement police presence in election “hot spots.”
As always, General Eleazar is hands on fulfilling his sworn duties until the last day of his illustrious police career.
