PNP to identify election hotspots ahead of 2025 polls

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Rommel Marbil on Wednesday ordered his commanders to start identifying possible “election areas of concern” for the 2025 polls.

In a press briefing, PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said the police organization is now in “election mode” with the upcoming filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) in October.

“Ang directive ni Chief PNP this early, the commanders on the ground should identify yung mga possible na merong intense political rivalries, saan yung potential election areas of concern,” Fajardo said.

(The directive of Chief PNP this early is for the commanders on the ground to identify candidates who have intense political rivalries, where the potential election areas of concern are.)

Fajardo said the PNP will provide the information that they will gather to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the list of election areas of concern.

Aside from this, the PNP will also determine if additional personnel would be needed to deploy in certain areas this early in anticipation of possible election-related violence.

The Comelec announced the filing of COCs for the May 2025 midterm polls is from October 1 to 8, 2024.

On Tuesday, the Comelec said the number of new registered voters for the 2025 national and local elections (NLE) has reached over 6.2 million.

As of September 17, the new voters for Eleksyon 2025 stood at 6,250,050. Of the figures, a total of 3,035,647 are male and 3,214,403 are female.

Calabarzon recorded the most number of registrants with 1,041,179. It was followed by the National Capital Region with 824,239; Central Luzon with 705,530; Davao Region with 356,854; and Central Visayas, with 331,033.

The Comelec main office registered 9,201 new voters.

The voter registration period for the May 2025 midterm polls started on February 12, and will end on September 30, 2024. —RF, GMA Integrated News