Marquez orders Camp Alagar to monitor poll hotspots

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

NATIONAL Police Director General Ricardo Marquez has instructed Camp Alagar to closely monitor election hotspots in Northern Mindanao.

In a statement, Camp Alagar spokesperson Senior Supt. Gervacio Balmaceda Jr. said the instruction was give to police regional director Chief Supt. Lyndel Desquitado during a command conference at Bethany Gardens Hotel and Restaurant in Ozamiz City over the weekend.

Balmaceda said the regional police office was instructed to install checkpoints in all areas especially under the general election hotspots.

He said election activities would be constantly monitored by police stations, provincial and city offices, and reports would be submitted to the Regional Election Monitoring Action Center.

Balmaceda said Marquez was very specific in instructing unit commanders that they must know the prevailing peace and order situation within their areas of responsibility, strategically deploy police personnel, and develop contingency plans.

“He also encouraged all police personnel to vote and passively register for absentee voting in the 2016 elections for their voices to be heard,” he said.

Earlier, Misamis Oriental provincial director Carlito Ravelo encouraged all police units to install checkpoints in all strategic areas.

Ravelo reminded that all installed checkpoints should be well-lighted and bear the mark of the Comelec and the name of the police officials who head the patrol areas.

“Plain view or visual search lang gyud ang pag-check sa mga vehicles, and avoid being charged with illegal search,” he told the police.

Balmaceda said Marquez also directed local police offices to reduce the number of “crimes against property” like theft, robbery, and carnapping activities in Region 10.