The Commission on Elections (Comelec) replaced 524 electoral boards in Cotabato City with members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) who will serve as special electoral boards on Election Day, May 9, according to poll Commissioner George Erwin M. Garcia said.
During a press briefing, Comelec Acting Spokesperson John Rex C. Laudingco said one of the factors why the original electoral boards declined to serve is their “perceived threat.”
“According to the reports on the ground, because of the confusion, because of ‘yung gulo (chaos), and the others they feel threatened, they feel not safe,” he said.
Such, he said, triggered the local Comelec officials to tap trained PNP personnel to serve in the polls.
“In all situations, may contingency ang Comelec (Comelec has a contingency). We have trained sufficient number of PNP personnel to serve as special electoral boards in the city of Cotabato,” Laudianco said.
To address the concern of original electoral boards, Laudiangco said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has airlifted a battalion to Cotabato City.
He added that the Comelec increased the number of police personnel in Cotabato, as well.