Ano says security forces ''very much ready'' for Monday elections
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano ensures that the government security forces are ready for the national and local elections on Monday.
"We are very much ready for tomorrow... Almost 80,000 personnel from PNP and AFP will be deployed for this election and all the automated election system, all the official ballots were already transported in the polling places," Ano said in a radio interview on Sunday.
"We also prepared police that underwent training as Board of Election Inspectors in case... there are BOEIs that will not be able to show up. That is why we are ready and we also have reserve of more or less 2000 from the AFP, so the election will really push through," he added.
Ano added that civil disturbance management units were also prepared for possible protests that will be staged during the election.
"We also prepare civil disturbance management units. For those who will conduct rallies and any demonstrations, we are also ready," he said.
Ano said the preparations include the reshuffle of police commanders who have relatives who have relatives to the local candidates and the commanders who serve at least two years in an area to ensure that the police personnel will remain non-partisan.
Col. Ramon Zagala, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman, said a total of 69,705 military will be deployed to ensure peaceful conduct of the election.
"Based on our planning, yes we are. We are confident that we'll have a secure and orderly election. Of course we are prepared for contingency.... so it's important that all our command centers at all level should be able to communicate to us any eventuality so that we can respond," he said.
"We believe that because of all the preparations that we've made we are confident that it will be peaceful, and then minimize any untoward incident," he added. Robina Asido/DMS
