Philippine National Police Promises Enhanced Security for Election Campaign

As the national election campaign kicks off, the Philippine National Police (PNP) has committed to ramping up security measures to protect political candidates. This announcement was made by PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo during a press conference at Camp Crame. She emphasized that security arrangements are in place to handle the expected surge of national candidates traveling from the National Capital Region to Visayas and Mindanao. Fajardo highlighted that additional PNP personnel will be stationed in 403 areas previously flagged as high-risk by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Following the directives of PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, the force aims to utilize all available personnel effectively. Enhanced deployments are planned for areas categorized under yellow, orange, and red alert levels, particularly in high-risk zones. The PNP will collaborate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to mobilize provincial and regional mobile forces. Fajardo also stressed the importance of courteous behavior from police at Comelec checkpoints, urging them to minimize delays for candidates and their supporters while still maintaining respect for the checkpoints. The campaign for local candidates is set to begin on March 28.