TACLOBAN CITY (PIA) -- The Philippine National Police in Eastern Visayas will deploy some 230 police personnel to the first district of Samar starting March 1 to intensify security measures for the national and local elections in May.

Brigadier General Bernard M. Banac, regional director of the Police Regional Office 8, said the deployment of police me personnel is part of the precautionary measures to ensure a peaceful election.

“Sa ngayon, ang ginagawa nating preventive action ay isa lamang precautionary measure just to ensure na ang lahat manatiling kalmado, disiplinado at susunod sa umiiral na batas under the Omnibus Election Code,” PBGen. Banac said.

Banac said the police organization is serious in its commitment to prevent any untoward incident during the election period.

He also clarified that the deployment of additional police personnel in Samar is not an indication that the said area is already considered a hotspot area as there is no declared hotspot area yet in the region.

“Sa ngayon wala pang nai-declare na hotspot dito sa bahagi ng Region 8 at inaantabayanan pa natin ang abiso ng Comelec,” Banac said.

Banac also said that the deployment of additional police troops in Samar is in response to the reported killings in said area for the past days. However, he clarified that such reported killings are only isolated cases and not election-related incidents.

Prior to this, the Philippine Army also deployed to Samar province a battalion of soldiers from Mindanao ahead of the May 2022 elections. (LDL/CBA/PIA-8)