With less than a week until the May 12 midterm elections, nearly a thousand uniformed personnel from the police, coast guard, and military have been deployed across Puerto Princesa’s barangays in what officials describe as a robust show of force to protect the sanctity of the vote.
In a formal send-off ceremony Monday morning at the Puerto Princesa City Police Office in Barangay San Pedro, 966 security personnel stood at attention as officials underscored the stakes of the coming polls. The contingent included 797 police officers from the Puerto Princesa City Police Office (PPCPO), 47 from the Coast Guard District Palawan (CGDPal), and 122 marines from the Marine Battalion Landing Team 9 (MBLT-9).
Police Colonel Cornelio Tadena Jr., who leads the city police, reminded the assembled troops of their role not merely as law enforcers but as stewards of democracy. “Tayo ay tagapagtanggol ng demokrasya at karapatan ng ating mamamayan,” he said, urging vigilance and discipline during the entire election period.
The deployment, part of the “Send-Off and Turnover Ceremony of Government Forces and Resources,” was coordinated in partnership with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) and other local agencies. The event was also attended by City COMELEC Election Officer Atty. Julius Cuevas and City Schools Division Superintendent Laida Mascareñas of the Department of Education.
For Cuevas, the presence of nearly a thousand deputized security personnel is more than a logistical effort—it is a message. “It is an honor and privilege to receive and accept the overwhelming number of manpower and forces from different deputized government agencies for the upcoming May 12, 2025, national and local elections,” she said during her remarks.
“Indeed, the successful conduct of every election is the success of all of us,” she added, noting that the collaboration between the COMELEC and law enforcement is crucial to safeguarding the credibility of the electoral process. “Your loyalty and commitment to the public in the enforcement of election laws are vital for the successful conduct of this midterm election.”
Cuevas also emphasized that the deployment sends a strong signal of the state’s resolve to uphold electoral integrity. “The Commission on Elections, as mandated by the Philippine Constitution, is responsible for administering and enforcing all election-related laws and regulations,” she said.
With security personnel now stationed across city barangays, the final stretch of election preparation has shifted from campaign noise to ensuring public order. Officials say the city’s readiness is not just logistical, but moral—a collective duty to keep faith with the democratic process.
As the ceremony concluded, Tadena reminded the deployed forces of the values they carry into their assignments: integrity, vigilance, and a deep respect for the right of every citizen to cast a vote safely and freely.
The elections on May 12 will determine new local and national leaders in a city where both security and democracy are being tested by the times, but not, officials insist, taken for granted.
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