PNP on full alert for BARMM polls

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The Philippine National Police on Friday said a full alert status has been raised in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) for the first parliamentary elections.

“As of this date, September 11, we are on full alert status and this will last until September 30,”

PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Allen Rae Co said at a press briefing.

Under full alert status, 100% of concerned police personnel are required to be at their respective places of assignment to respond to possible emergencies and contingencies.

Co said a total of 10,439 personnel have been deployed.

Police have also been continuously conducting intelligence gathering and validation to monitor possible election-related security concerns.

The PNP classifies areas based on their security situation, with green indicating no security concerns, yellow for suspected election-related incidents, orange for a combination of security factors, and red for areas with confirmed serious election-related security concerns.

These classifications allow police to adjust the number of personnel deployed based on the security requirements of each area.

According to the PNP, 27 areas are under red category including 21 in Lanao del Sur, three in Maguindanao del Sur, and one each in Basilan, Maguindanao del Norte, and the Special Geographic Area.

Co said the PNP has not identified any specific emerging threat so far.

The PNP said relations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) remain good following a recent checkpoint-related misunderstanding.

As the elections approach, police officers have been reminded to remain professional, impartial, and respectful of the electoral process.

The PNP also warned that the police would act on violations of election laws including vote-buying. —VAL, GMA News