Comelec, police beef up security as barangay poll nears
AS the October 28 barangay election nears, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the police are beefing up security measures to ensure peace and order throughout the election period.
Marino Salas, Comelec provincial election supervisor, said while the last barangay election in the province was “very peaceful”, they continue to be vigilant “because the situation changes as the campaign period draws nearer”.
“Rivalry and fighting become too personal because aspirants are either relatives, friends, kumpare or kumare and they know too well the personality of each other,” Salas said over USATV’s Deretsahan program of K17.
Filing of candidacy is from October 11 to 17 while the campaign period kicks off Oct. 18 and in effect until midnight of the 26th.
Checkpoints have been set up beginning September 28, the start of the gun ban implementation, and will be in effect until November 12.
Chief Supt. Ricardo Marquez, Region 1 police director 1, has ordered high police visibility in checkpoints while police chiefs and election officers with links to candidates have been re-assigned to other areas.
Pangasinan currently has 1,723,816 registered voters.
DRUGS AND SPENDING
Meanwhile, aspirants are reminded to submit their statement of campaign expenditures (SOCEs).
Barangay election aspirants are entitled to spend only P5 per voter.—Eva Visperas
COUNTERPART FUND
In another development, barangays were reminded to remit their respective counterpart funds for the election.
Salas said so far only 30 percent of the more than 1,200 barangays in Pangasinan have remitted their respective financial contributions.
Under Comelec Resolution No. 9739, barangays are mandated to contribute not less than P10,000 or not more than the 10% of their barangay budgets to defray election expenses before the start of election period last September 28.
The amount will be used mainly for the honoraria, transportation allowance and for the training of barangay election tellers (BET).
Rhoderick Dawis, DILG-Dagupan director, said some barangay chairmen are reluctant to remit the amount expected of them because they are still wondering if there will be a reversal of the congressional decision to postpone the Sangguniang Kabataan election.
Meanwhile, Salas said that their preparation still includes the SK election since they have yet to receive an official memorandum or resolution stating its postponement.—Dada Austria
