RD Soria lauds AFP, other law enforcement agencies effort to ensure peaceful polls

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
April 15, 2013

CAMP SEC. KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte – Police Chief Superintendent Elmer Ragadio Soria, Regional Director of Police Regional Office 8 (PRO8) lauded the efforts of the army and other law enforcement agencies in Eastern Visayas as he encouraged everyone to continue with good initiatives in ensuring a peaceful conduct of the May 13 elections.

“The collaborative effort between the Comelec, PNP and our AFP counterparts, together with the support of other government agencies is a laudable effort that contributed greatly to the tranquility of the election atmosphere,” Soria said during the Regional Joint Security Control Center - Regional Law Enforcement Coordinating Council (RJSCC-RLECC) Joint Conference held at PRO8 Matapat Hall last Thursday.

PRO8 has no recorded election-related violent incidents since the start of the election period.

“This noble partnership will ensure the safe exercise of the people’s sacred right to vote in the elections and we are optimistic of attaining our goal of zero-casualty for this year’s polls,” the top police official added.

The Comelec, AFP and PNP have activated the Joint Security Control Centers (JSCCs) to serve as focal point for all security coordination related to the elections while the RLECC is coordinating mechanism for all law enforcement activities of various government agencies to ensure unified direction and integration of law enforcement efforts.

The police official further assured that PRO8 will continue to implement pro-active police operations to ensure safe and secured elections by assisting the Comelec in the implementation of elections laws, rules and regulations; and deter or deny private armed groups and other threat groups from conducting election-related violence.

These police activities includes the continuous conduct of fixed/mobile checkpoints especially at pinpointed critical strategic locations; accounting of wanted persons and loose firearms; prepositioning of PNP reaction teams in areas believed to be of immediate concern and deployment of elements from the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB8) to support police provincial offices and police stations.