Manila: The Philippine national police announced that it is intensifying security activities across the country in the face of an upsurge of violence believed to be related to the 2019 congressional and local elections.
“In view of the recent killings involving local chief executives, I am directing the command group and the regional directors to review and put in place early security measures ahead of the 2019 mid-term elections in May next year,” Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde said in a press briefing on Monday morning in Camp Crame, the PNP headquarters.
On Saturday afternoon, Vice-Mayor Alex Lubigan of the municipality of Trece Martires and his driver were killed in an ambush in Cavite, while Councilor Nasiff Basil of Kapatagan town in Lanao del Sur in Southern Philippines was similarly attacked together with his men, resulting in the death of the municipal official and the wounding of five others.
The attacks took place in a week considered among the bloodiest in local politics. On July 2, Tanauan Batangas Mayor Antonio Halili was gunned down by a concealed assassin as he was attending flag rites at the town hall while Mayor Ferdinand Bote of General Tinio municipality in Nueva Ecija was killed by assailants riding a motorcycle.
Albayalde said police will be intensifying security operations to include checkpoints and other measures.
“The order includes directive to all provincial directors and chiefs of police to coordinate closely with the local chief executives and other stakeholders to ensure that security and safety measures would have the broad support of the community,” he added.
Earlier, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano said the killings of local officials were unrelated.
Albayalde said it is the task of the PNP to ensure that violence will not take place.
The next congressional and local elections is schedule on May 2019.
In the Philippines, it is not uncommon for killings to take place months ahead of the elections.
He said that also as part of the security activities, the PNP will be cracking down on gunrunning syndicates and private armed groups.
“We are looking into the activities of 78 groups, mostly in Mindanao,” he noted.
The bloodiest political killing in the country took place in Nov. 23, 2009 when a group of heavily armed men led by Datu Unsay town mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., killed 58 people, including 38 journalists, lawyers, the family and supporters of his political rival Toto Mangudadatu as well as innocent motorists.
