BY JEN BAYLON
ILOILO City – In preparation for the upcoming polls, a simultaneous multi-agency personnel sendoff and turnover ceremony of resources were held at the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) grounds in Camp Achilles D. Plagata on General Luna Street on Friday morning.
Attended by Atty. Reinier Layson, city election officer and concurrent provincial election supervisor, each agency presented its personnel who will be part of the deployment.
The activity highlighted the commitment of law enforcement agencies to ensure a safe and successful electoral process, Layson said.
A total of 282 ICPO personnel will be deployed in different polling centers in the city.
The Philippine Coast Guard Station-Iloilo will augment 80 personnel, along with their rubber and aluminum boats, as well as a K9 unit.
Additionally, the 61st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army augmented the city with 100 of its personnel, while 160 more forces will come from the Bureau of Fire Protection.
To enhance their mobility and response capabilities, 48 units of patrol vehicles, including a Special Weapons and Tactics van, and 40 units of motorcycles have been allocated for deployment in key areas.
In his message, ICPO director Colonel Joeresty P. Coronica highlighted a few things to his personnel, “ask God’s guidance, observe self-care, serve with a heart, be apolitical, understand all actions and have a good line of communication.”
As such, there will be seven units of base radios on top of 212 units of mobile radios distributed for real-time communication and to facilitate immediate updates on election-related incidents.
Furthermore, 25 units of hotline cellular phones have been made available to the public, enabling direct contact with authorities in case of emergencies or suspicious activities.
Recognizing the importance of forensic investigation, 25 sets of crime scene kits have been provided to aid in the proper collection and preservation of evidence.
Short firearms have been administered to all deployed forces, bolstering their ability to maintain order and protect themselves and the community. Additionally, 400 units of long firearms have been allocated to ensure a robust defense system against potential threats.
With these, Layson declared that all are now ready for Monday and thanked the different security forces and concerned government agencies for their commitment./PN