160,000 cops to be deployed for May 13 elections

THE PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) has raised to 160,000 from 143,000 the number of police personnel that will be deployed for the May 13 midterm elections. PNP Spokesperson Col. Bernard M. Banac, in a press conference on Thursday, said this means that cops who are under administrative duties will also be given tasks related to securing the polls, including as contingency teams that will be deployed should there be violence in some areas. Meanwhile, with the prevailing election-related gun ban, the PNP reported that a total of 4,038 firearms have been voluntarily surrendered and confiscated as a result of PNP’s focused police operations from Jan. 13 to April 29, and 4,839 individuals have been arrested. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras