MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine National Police (PNP) is asking the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to establish special desks to deal with election-related issues.
PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said the special desks formed part of the PNP’s request to the Comelec to ensure honest and peaceful elections next year.
“We recommended to the Comelec the setting up of desk centers, and we hope to set up these desk centers prior to the election period,” Verzosa added.
Verzosa said the Comelec would supervise the proposed desk centers that would be manned by policemen.
The PNP chief tapped Deputy Director General Jefferson Soriano, PNP deputy chief for operations, to coordinate with the Comelec over the proposal.
Soriano, the concurrent national director of Task for HOPE (honest, orderly and peaceful elections), will be meeting the Comelec before the preparations for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COC) starting Nov. 20.
The PNP also proposed to the Comelec to impose a total gun ban during the election period to help minimize election-related violent incidents in 2010.
As part of the gun ban, Verzosa earlier said the PNP is asking the Comelec to refrain from issuing gun ban exemptions during the election period to help minimize election-related violent incidents.
Verzosa directed all police units to intensify the campaign against loose firearms.
Verzosa said there are about 1.1 million loose firearms and half of them have expired licenses.
The PNP chief said firearms are usually used in committing crimes especially during election period and controlling their proliferation would somehow minimize the number of election-related violent incidents.
Under Executive Order 817-A signed by President Arroyo, the PNP will implement gun amnesty from Nov. 1 to 30 to help account for the number of loose firearms.
EO 817-A is an extension of EO 817, the gun amnesty program implemented from Oct. 1 to 31.
By Cecille Suerte Felipe
The Philippine Star
Updated November 09, 2009 12:00 AM
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