Do Not Read This: Diego Cagahastian from Opinyon
Do Not Read This

Peaceful Elections This Monday Likely

May 9, 2022, 1:51 AM
Diego S. Cagahastian

Diego S. Cagahastian

Columnist

THE peace-and-order statistics in connection with the May 9, 2022 elections are encouraging. It is likely that we will have relatively peaceful national elections with minimal incidence of violence.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), which is the implementing arm of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) regarding security, said it has so far recorded 14 validated election-related incidents this year, lower than the 133 reported during the 2016 national elections.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said 14 validated election-related incidents have been recorded as of May 4.

The police spokesperson said this figure is lower than the 133 validated election-related incidents recorded in 2016 as well as the 60 validated election-related incidents in the 2019 midterm elections.

“If we compare the 14 validated election-related incidents as of May 4, this is way below the recorded validated election incidents in 2016 which recorded 133 validated election-related incidents. In 2019, we recorded 60 validated election incidents,” Fajardo said.

No More Incidents

Fajardo added that the PNP is hoping that the 14 recorded validated election incidents as of May 4 will not increase in the runup to the polls.

One of the incidents recorded was the killing of political leader Renato Canilao, 47, was gunned down on Tuesday afternoon in Malabon City after attending a meeting of supporters and staff of Rep. Jaye Lacson-Noel.

We should credit the good work of certain police officers and units in securing the elections, such as those diligently conducting patrols and checkpoints in Metro Manila.

We also would like to cite the accomplishments of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of Quezon province led by Lt. Col. Ariel Huesca, the PNP Regional Mobile Force Battalion and the Catanauan, Quezon Police for the confiscation of illegal firearms and thousands of rounds of ammunition in Catanauan town in the Bondoc Peninsula on May 3.

Keeping Fingers Crossed

Armed with a search warrant issued by Calamba City Regional Trial Court, 4th Judicial Region, Branch 36 Judge Glenda Menoza-Ramos, the police swooped down on the MJIEL Construction Compound in Sitio NFA, Barangay Madulao, Catanauan.

CIDG Director Maj. Gen. Eliseo Cruz said suspects Meil Yu Tan, 35 and Jacqueline Tan, 38, were in possession of an M16 Armalite rifle, a cal. 40 pistol, a cal. 9mm pistol, a cal. 45 pistol, a caliber Super 38 pistol, 12 gauge shotgun, magazines and 1,110 assorted bullets.

Mediamen in Quezon noted that the suspects won and made numerous construction projects in the province.Therefore, they have good relations in the Kapitolyo.

Imagine if those guns were used in intimidating voters in the Bondoc Peninsula, risking violence and promoting disenfranchisement.

Still the PNP is optimistic.

“If you see the breakdown of the incidents, the majority of the incidents are only minor incidents comprising of grave threats, life threats, and some physical injuries,” Fajardo said.

“We are hoping that the security coverage laid down by security forces will be effective in monitoring these incidents and we will not be foreseeing any violent election-related incidents three days prior to the conduct of elections this coming Monday,” she added.

We are keeping our fingers crossed, too.


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