THE Police Regional Office (PRO)-Zamboanga Peninsula announced on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, that 656 police personnel have been strategically deployed across 48 designated filing venues throughout Zamboanga Peninsula.
Police Brigadier General Bowenn Joey Masauding, PRO-Zamboanga Peninsula director, said the personnel are tasked with providing security and ensuring the smooth flow of the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) filing process that started Tuesday.
Masauding said they are implementing a series of comprehensive security measures in addition to manpower deployment.
These included the Red Teaming Operations wherein Command and Staff Duty Officers (CDOs and SDOs) and all other senior officers from the headquarters will conduct surprise inspection to check on the deployment, and conduct simulation exercises (SIMEX) and make on the spot correction and mentoring, the establishment of checkpoints, intensified patrols, and close coordination with Local Government Units (LGUs) to further bolster the sense of safety during the filing period.
On Tuesday, October 1, the first day of the COC filing, Masauding conducted a security inspection in the COC filing venue at the KCC Mall Ground Floor, Barangay Canelar, Zamboanga City.
During the assessment, Masauding reiterated that the primary goal is to maintain a secure and peaceful environment for political aspirants filing their COCs for the upcoming 2025 midterm elections.
“The safety of both our candidates and the public is our top priority. We are fully committed to ensuring that the filing of candidacies proceeds without incident,” he said.
He assured the public that all necessary precautions have been taken to safeguard the integrity of the election process in the region. (SunStar Zamboanga)
