• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Police Regional Office-Central Visayas (PRO 7) has deployed an additional 200 personnel to bolster disaster response efforts in connection with the unrest of Mt. Kanlaon and ensure smooth operations during the May 12 elections in Negros Oriental.
PBrig. Gen. Redrico Maranan, regional director of PRO 7, assured residents that they will carry out comprehensive law enforcement support, effective disaster response, and facilitate peaceful and orderly elections.
Negros Oriental is likely to be categorized as an election area of concern by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) because of election-related incidents and intense political rivalries in the past years.
The province was placed under the Comelec control during the October 2024 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, following the assassination of then governor Roel Degamo at his residential compound in Pamplona town.
“Our objective is to ensure that citizens can cast their votes free from fear and violence, empowering them to choose the deserving and most qualified leaders who will contribute to the progress of the province,” Maranan said in a statement.
He also urged the police officers to prioritize their safety as they perform their mandate.
Of the 200 personnel recently dispatched to Negros Oriental, 100 are members of the Regional Mobile Force Company-7, who have been tasked to beef up the local police in establishing anti-criminality checkpoints, while the other 100 personnel from the Provincial Mobile Force Company will focus on evacuation and humanitarian efforts to support the residents of Canlaon City. | GB
