New PNP chief Carlos vows peaceful Eleksyon 2022

Newly appointed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police Lieutenant General Dionardo Carlos said Monday that for the next six months, he will prioritize overseeing and preparing for a peaceful May 2022 national and local elections.

In his speech after the flag ceremony in Camp Crame, Carlos said the PNP will be under the structure of command of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and will coordinate with its deputized agencies such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard.

“We foresee that we will be a deputized agency of the Comelec for this electoral exercise. Kapag kanya-kanya tayo, walang mangyayari diyan kaya kami [If we are on our own, nothing will happen], we perform based on the mandate and instruction of the Comelec to perform the duties under the implementation of the Omnibus Election Code,” he said.

“Sabi ko nga, we will predict, plan, prepare, practice—‘yung mga red teaming—and perform professionally for a peaceful election,” Carlos added.

Carlos also said police officers are preparing for the duty rotations especially for those police officers who have family members gunning for a position in 2022. They will plan based on the results of today’s happenings--the deadline of substitution for those who withdrew from the race.

“From there, tuloy tuloy na kung sino ‘yung aming dapat ilipat dahil may kamag anak silang tumatakbo and then mga field commanders natin na umupo na dun sa kanyang puwesto ng isang taon o mahigit ay titingnan natin. I-a-assess natin sila but again, inaalis natin yung familiarity doon sa incumbent o nakaupo kaya nagkakaroon tayo ng rotation policy,” Carlos explained.

(From there, we will see who we need to move if they have families who will run, as well as the field commanders who stayed in their posts for over a year. We will assess them as we are doing this rotation policy to remove our familiarity of the incumbent or those currently seated.)

Carlos further reminded the policemen that the PNP is a non-partisan organization especially during an election season. He said that those who will violate the Omnibus Election Code will be punished accordingly.

“Non-partisan po tayo, neutral ground at kung meron ho tayong mga dating kasama na sila ho ay papasok sa pulitika, lalaban sa halalan ganun din ho kami. Tatayo ho kaming neutral at non-partisan,” he said.

Police General Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, the one whom Carlos replaced as chief PNP, already announced that he will run for senator in 2022 under Partido Reporma alongside the Senator Panfilo Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III tandem. — RSJ, GMA News