Introduction

An election is a contest for legitimate power that can be described as a non-

violent competition, fought within a political forum. In this context, it is important to
recognize that elections do not avoid confrontation, but rather focus on its management
and containment within accepted boundaries. In practice, the assurance of equitable
security during an electoral process is essential to retaining the participant's confidence
and commitment to an election. Consequently, security is both integral to the goal of an
election and an inseparable part of the electoral process.

The election period for the May 2019 National and Local polls started on January
13, 2019 and will end on June 12, 2019. The primordial concern during the said period
was to ensure free, orderly, honest, fair, peaceful and credible conduct of the 2019
midterm elections. It could be said that the safety coverage of the 2019 Midterm
Election lies on the prompt preparation of lead organizations considering the occurrence
of perils in the local communities and presence of strong political rivalries among
running candidates.

In order to successfully carry out this daunting task, various precautionary

measures were implemented. As such, a good AFP-PNP joint security plan was fully
instigated. To fully prepare for the midterm elections, regular conduct of the Provincial
Joint Security Control Center (PJSCC) meeting was upheld. Topics discussed were
updates regarding the May 13, 2019 National and Local Elections including Gun Ban,
Security Plan and Deployment Plan of personnel to be deployed at polling centers and
conduct of joint COMELEC/PNP Checkpoint. Simulation Exercises (SIMEX) were also
simultaneously conducted by the different police stations wherein the Chiefs of Police
supervised and inspected the deployment of its personnel in their assigned polling
centers, different scenarios were also plotted to check and test the readiness of these
personnel in case problems arise.

Likewise, the “Gun Ban” was strictly imposed in which it was prohibited to bear,
carry, or transport firearms or other deadly weapons. All licenses to carry firearms
outside the residence were suspended. Only members of the PNP, Armed Forces of the
Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation, and other law enforcement units who were
on duty were issued written permits by the COMELEC to carry firearms.

Also, as part of the election security for the midterm elections, series of
checkpoints and chokepoints were set up in strategic locations around the province.
Strong checkpoints were conducted to intercept guns, explosives and other instruments
of violence including illegal security personnel that may deface the upkeep of peaceful
and credible May 2019 elections.

Another activity conducted by the Cagayan PNP in coordination with the

COMELEC was the Unity Walk and Peace Rally. The said activities were attended by
the multi-sectoral stakeholders particularly from the religious sector, academe, students,
civic and non-government organizations, members of the Barangay Peacekeeping
Action Team (BPATs), NSTP/ROTC students, Political Candidates and personnel from
the concerned agencies.

A Peace Covenant “Signing” with the theme: “Ugnayan ng Simbahan At Pulis

(USAP) for free, credible and peaceful election 2019” was also conducted attended by
personnel from the Regional and Provincial Headquarters, COMELEC, DILG, religious
groups, media entities and local electoral candidates from Tuguegarao City and Enrile,
Cagayan. The running candidates signed their “Candidate Manifesto” as a sign of their
support for peaceful and credible 2019 elections.

Within the 150-day election period, Cagayan PNP has also intensified the
deployment of personnel across the province especially in places where there were
election-related incidents during the previous elections. Aside from the number of
personnel assigned in police stations, an augmentation force from the Regional and
Provincial Headquarters were also deployed.

The conduct of credible elections demand adherence to principles and rights,

which in practice, impose significant challenges for ensuring effective security on the
part of the PNP. Nonetheless, the Cagayan Police Provincial Office performed its
election security mandate effectively within electoral requirements, guided by its own
principles, including:

Equitable and rights-based

Participants in the election were treated in an equitable manner by the CPPO
personnel. Reasonable and proportionate responses to actions were consistent,
which were not influenced by arbitrary factors, such as, political affiliation. An
election is a mechanism by which people are able to exercise their political, civil
and human rights; hence, the CPPO personnel strictly considered protocols and
acknowledged these rights, as well as the heightened sensitivity and scrutiny to
the respect for these rights that occur during the election period.

Non-partisan and impartial

The CPPO personnel to be effective, were strictly warned to avoid allegations of
partisan bias. In this light, personnel who have affiliations (by blood or by
marriage) with politicians in their present assignments were relieved and
reassigned.

Transparent and accountable

In security operations there is always a tension between operational security
policies of ‘need to know’ and the public interest. In this regard, CPPO exuded
all means in order for policies to be normally best weighted towards the public
interest, recognizing the importance and value of transparency. This was done
through enhanced consultative mechanisms with political groups, civil society
and other organisations or line agencies to ensure the role and functions of the
police are well understood in the process. This emphasized the need for strong
communication and coordination between security forces and electoral
institutions.
These principles were realized through the Provincial Election Monitoring Action
Center (PEMAC) with the collaborative effort of the related agencies and the civil
society organizations. The PEMAC has become bridge to have a sharing and counter
validation of the data received from the ground during the May 13, 2019 midterm
elections. True to its objective, the PEMAC served as the central monitoring unit where
information relative to the conduct of election including security coverage were being
addressed. This Election Monitoring team was comprised of different civil society
organizations, various sectors, NGOs, two-way radio groups, traditional and religious
leaders, legal and paralegal groups, media, DEPED, COMELEC, PNP, AFP, MILF, and
COMELEC-accredited watchdogs. The PEMAC assisted in the conduct of election due
to its various sources of information, and the reports were directly addressed to
concerned deputized agencies for proper response since timely reporting is very
important for a quicker response by authorities. The Provincial Election Monitoring
Action Center of the Cagayan Police Provincial Office served as the “eyes and ears”
that provided updated report of all incidents related to election and the security activities
undertaken to include the deployment of police officers, standby forces and quick
reaction teams stationed in a 24-hour basis at the command posts in their respective
headquarters.