Comelec starts deploying security personnel for 2023 BSKE

Hundreds of thousands of uniformed security personnel are set to be deployed for the October 30 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Monday.

The Comelec led the ceremonial send-off for troops and resources of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), as well as the Department of Education (DepEd) for the nationwide electoral event.

Almost 180,000 police personnel and almost 100,000 AFP personnel will be deployed, but Comelec chairperson George Garcia clarified that the deployment will not be based solely on the color category of an area.

Barangays have been categorized as green, yellow, orange, and red, depending on the situation in the area with green being generally peaceful while red being besieged with problems such as the presence of private armed or terrorist groups, and intense political rivalry.

"'Yung pag-deploy diyan, naka-base 'yan sa operation plan ng Philippine National Police at Armed Forces of the Philippines. Priority siyempre 'yung Bangsamoro na kung saan medyo tumaas yung red areas doon," Garcia said.

(The deployment is based on the operation plan of the police and military. Priority of course is the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao where there are a lot of red areas.)

On October 4, the Comelec reported that 242 areas in the country were categorized as red but that number has increased to 361 on October 20.

Garcia said the Comelec prefers to have one policeman and one soldier stationed 50 meters away from every polling place.

"Hindi naman pupuwedeng napakaraming uniformed personnel sa isang area sa isang barangay, sa isang munisipyo. It will create a situation na aakalain ng ilan na napakagulo ng lugar na 'yan," he said.

Areas to be placed under Comelec control have also increased. Aside from Negros Oriental, Libon in Albay will also be placed under Comelec control, Garcia said.

"Dito po sa Libon sa Albay, minarapat ng inyong Commission on Elections na ilagay siya sa Comelec control base na rin sa rekomendasyon ng ating PNP, AFP, Coast Guard, at ng regional Comelec namin dahil nga sa pangyayari noong Agosto na kung saan may nagbuwis ng buhay na isang kandidatong barangay chairman at isang kagawad, incumbent, na isang linggo lang ang pagitan ng kanilang pagkamatay at dahil din sa presensiya ng private armed groups," the Comelec chairperson said.

(The Comelec saw it fit to place Libon, Albay, under its control based on the recommendation of the PNP, AFP, Coast Guard and the regional Comelec office, due to what happened in August where a person running for barangay chairman and an incumbent barangay councilman were killed a week apart by private armed groups.) —KBK, GMA Integrated News