Eastern Visayas completes security plan for May 9 polls

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 7 (PNA) -- The Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC) in Eastern Visayas has finalized its security plan for May 9 elections in order to beef up preparations for honest, peaceful, and orderly voting.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Regional Director Jose Nick Mendros the RJSCC is just consolidating all attachments to the plan before its submission to their central office on or before the start of campaign period for national candidates on February 9.

“In the plan, we have listed worst case scenario and how responsible army and police units would respond. The plan also looked into the deployment of police and army in different areas. It also identified precincts that would be secured by either army or police,” Mendros said.

There will be deployment of soldiers in all provinces except in Biliran since there are no intense political rivalry and no threats of armed rebels.

No single town was tagged as elections area of concern in Southern Leyte, but there will be deployment of soldiers in remote villages due to personnel constraints of the local police, according to Mendros.

The said plan has identified risk factors and how to address all foreseen threats particularly in those places that are historically tagged as areas of concern.

Top officials of the Commission on Elections, Philippine Army and Philippine National Police on Thursday joined the symbolic signing of security plan for the region after weeks of consultation and consolidation.

“The RJSCC’s regional security plan is our general principle for the region. The provincial joint security control centers have their own plans, which will be finalized on or before February 9,” Mendros said. (PNA)
BNB/SARWELL Q. MENIANO