CALAMBA CITY,
Laguna (PIA) — Authorities
in the Calabarzon region
are keeping a close watch
on the conduct of the 2023
Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections
(BSKE) and the continuing
activities of Taal Volcano as election day draws
near.
Police Major Gerry Malipol said more than
9,000 personnel from the
Philippine National Police Regional Office IV-A
are ready to be deployed
along with the Armed
Forces of the Philippines,
Philippine Coast Guard,
Bureau of Fire Protection,
and the Regional Maritime
Unit to ensure safe and
fair elections.
The Commission
on Elections (Comelec) is
also on alert on the activities of Taal Volcano, which
may affect the conduct of
elections in surrounding
areas.
Lawyer Gretchen Dolarte,
Batangas provincial election officer, said the poll
body is prepared to declare a ‘failure of election’
if incidents such as fire,
flood, earthquakes, or similar events occur on election day.
“Our top priority
is the preservation of life,
so our election board is
required to evacuate polling places if necessary.
However, they must report
the situation to our election officers and secure all
equipment and supplies.
They must also inform
the party representatives,
citizen arms, and watchers about any transfer or
suspension of voting,” she
said.
In past barangay elections, the PNP recorded a minimal number of
election-related incidents
involving candidates and
their supporters. Incidents
included two cases in
2010, three in 2013, and
two in 2018.
“Despite these incidents, it
is safe to assess that the
BSKE in the region were
generally peaceful. Nevertheless, we continue to
monitor the presence of
potential private armed
groups that may be involved in activities related
to the election period,” Malipol said.
Under the Omnibus Election Code, an election
may be postponed due to
violence, terrorism, loss
or destruction of election
paraphernalia or records,
force majeure, and other
situations that would undermine the conduct of a
free, orderly, and honest
election.
Calabarzon comprising
Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon
has 15,660,770 registered
voters for the October
2023 polls, making it the
most vote-rich region in
the country. (PB)
