PNP on heightened alert as BSKE 2023 campaign period begins

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has deployed 187,000 personnel nationwide as it goes on heightened alert for the start of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Thursday. 

“Ang total na ide-deploy po natin for the purposes ng BSKE elections po ay nasa 187,000 plus PNP personnel, nationwide po iyan,” PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said in a press briefing on Wednesday.

(Our total deployment for the BSKE is around over 187,000 PNP personnel nationwide.)

“Asahan niyo naka-heightened alert na po ang PNP dito sa sampung araw na campaign period,” she added.

(Expect that the PNP is already on heightened alert for the 10-day campaign period.)

According to Fajardo, the PNP will be on heightened alert status until election day, October 30, and will continue until All Saints' Day and All Souls' day break on November 1 and 2.

Meanwhile, a total of 88 incidents of suspected election violence have been reported as of Wednesday, according to Fajardo.  

From that number, eight incidents have been confirmed to be connected with the elections.

A total of 1,544 individuals have also been arrested and 1,138 firearms have been confiscated due to gun ban violations, added Fajardo.

Areas of concern

The number of election areas of concern under the red category is 356, while 1,325 are in the orange area and 1,196 are in the yellow area.

Yellow areas may have intense partisan political rivalry and candidates possibly employing partisan armed groups. These areas may have been previously declared under the control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Orange areas exhibit two or more factors under the yellow category or a serious armed threat posed by local terrorist groups and other threat groups.

The red category refers to areas with one or more factors described under the yellow category and serious armed threats posed by local terrorist groups.

Comelec has also identified 2,518 barangays as areas of concern.

For the 2023 BSKE, there are 294,007 Sangguniang Barangay seats up for grabs and 295,007 Sangguniang Kabataan posts to be filled. —VAL, GMA Integrated News