CAMP AQUINO, Tarlac City -- “We will not allow violence, terror, and intimidation to happen, not during our watch.”
Thus said Lieutenant General Rodolfo Azurin, Commander of Area Police Command-Northern Luzon, on Thursday, during the Joint Peace Security Coordinating Committee Area (JPSCC-A) meeting in preparation for Monday's national and local elections.
The APC-NL Commander said that the security forces will ensure the voters that ‘they can go to their voting precincts, cast their votes, and go home safely.’
During the meeting, Lt. Gen. Azurin was welcomed by Lt. Gen. Ernesto Torres Jr., Commander of NolCom, during a simple ceremony where the former was accorded with the traditional military honors by the officers and men of NoLCom.
After their the meeting, Lt. Gen. Torres Jr. said that NolCom forces all over northern and central Luzon have been deployed in strategic locations within their areas of operation as deputized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and in coordination with the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard and other concerned agencies.
NolCom personnel from the Joint Task Forces (JTF) "Kaugnay" of the 7th Infantry Division (7ID), JTF "Tala" from the 5th Infantry Division (5ID), JTF "Karagatan" of the Naval Forces-Northern Luzon (NFNL), and Tactical Operations Wing Northern Luzon (TOWNOL) were also augmented with their partner agencies to monitor all election-related activities and updates at the regional, provincial and municipal levels.
Troops from the Northern Luzon Command joined in the Nationwide Simultaneous Multi-Agency Send-Off Ceremony of Security Forces for the 2022 National and Local Elections held at different Police Regional Offices in Benguet, Ilocos, Cagayan, and Pampanga, Lt. Gen. Torres said.
The NoLCom commander said that a total of 3,002 soldiers with 91 officers, 2,280 personnel, and 631 reserve troops are already deployed to polling stations in regions 1, 2, 3 and CAR to help in thwarting any election-related issues that may arise.
“Checkpoints and visibility within the prescribed distance from the polling precincts, together with the PNP were also set up at pre-designated areas to have control of the situation and prevent any hostile intentions from occurring,” Lt. Gen. Torres added.