By Jennifer P. Rendon
Ten days into the national and local elections, the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) said they have not received any report on election-related incidents (ERI).
Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis, PRO-6 spokesperson, said they are hoping that the region’s statistics would not be tainted by violent incidents during and after Election Day.
During the 2019 midterm elections, PRO-6 recorded three ERIs, all of which happened in Negros Occidental province – two in Moises Padilla and one in La Castellana.
Just like ERIs, Solis said they also did not receive any report of vote buying incidents in the region.
“So far, maski complaint, we have not received any report,” he said.
But he admitted that they would strengthen their monitoring since most election buying incidents happen a day or a few days before actual polling.
During the 2019 elections, the police either monitored or recorded at least 73 vote buying activities.
Three cases were filed before the Prosecutors’ Office in relation to said incidents.
Earlier, PRO-6 and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) said they would act if they received reports of vote buying activities.
It was not yet known if the PRO-6 would deploy Anti-Vote Buying Operating Teams, just like it did during the 2019 polls.
