By Nancy I. Mediavillo
CAMP GEN. SIMEON A. OLA, Legazpi City, (PNA) — The entire force of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Bicol is in full alert status during the conduct of the barangay elections today.
This means, according to Chief Supt. Victor P. Deona, Police Regional Office 5 director, all members of the PNP are on duty and cannot go on leave of absence.
In fact, Deona said, all provincial directors and police chiefs of the 114 towns and cities of the region are focused on the elections to ensure an orderly and peaceful conduct of the electoral exercise.
There are 3,471 barangays in the 107 towns and seven cities in the six provinces of the region.
The total registered voters in the region number 3 million out of a population of 5.4 million.
The regional police office has a total augmentation force of 1,210 with the first batch of 817 police officers dispatched to the six provinces.
The second batch was composed of 154 for the province of Masbate; while the third batch had a total of 285 personnel from the Regional Public Safety Battalion and was distributed to the provinces of Albay and Camarines Sur and Naga City.
The others are stationed at the regional office, based on a directive of Deona.