Google map of Basilan Island.
ISABELA CITY, Basilan – The Basilan Police Provincial Office (BPPO) has requested additional forces to boost security during the May 9 national and local elections.
Col. Pedro Martirez Jr., BPPO director, said Thursday his request from the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-BARMM) entails the deployment of 400 more police officers.
Martirez said he also asked the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) to augment its contingent based in this province.
“I requested for additional troops considering we lack personnel,” Martirez said in an interview.
Forty-one of the 255 barangays in the province have been identified as areas of concern or election hotspots, the police official said.
“These barangays were classified as hotspots since the past two elections, there were election-related incidents that took place,” he said.
The province comprises two-component cities and 11 municipalities, two of which are island towns.
Lawyer Vidzfar Julie, the provincial election supervisor, said the province has 297,322 registered voters.
Meanwhile, Martirez said some of their personnel have undergone seminars to serve as Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) or poll clerks on election day.
Policemen will serve as BEIs and poll clerks in two of 16 barangays in Al-Barka town as the teachers in the two villages refused to render poll duty for fear of their safety, he added. (PNA)
