CAPOY (FB)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Police Regional Office (PRO) 8 (Eastern Visayas) is confident of a more peaceful 2026 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) following the deployment of 302 police officers to hotspot areas in Leyte province.
Police Lt. Col. Analiza Armeza, PRO-8 spokesperson, said on Thursday that police personnel under the Regional Task Force “Kamurayaw” (peace) were deployed on June 10, some five months before the Nov. 2 BSKE, as part of its intensified security preparations.
They will be augmented in police stations in the third and fourth legislative districts in Leyte, where election-related violence has been recorded in every poll season.
“The task force is expected to conduct focused anti-criminality operations, suppress violent crimes, address shooting incidents, and prevent activities of lawless elements that could threaten public safety and compromise the integrity of the electoral process,” Armeza said.
Of the 302 deployed police officers, 25 are from the regional headquarters, 95 from the third and fourth districts of Leyte, 100 from the first district of Samar, and 82 from various support units.
In a statement, PRO-8 Director Police Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy underscored the Philippine National Police’s firm stance against any attempts to disrupt the conduct of the local elections.
“The deployment of the task force is a clear message that we will not tolerate any form of lawlessness, violence, or intimidation in Eastern Visayas. We have sent our personnel to these districts to proactively prevent crime and safeguard the will of the people,” Capoy said.