ProCor chief checks on voting counting machines' security

BAGUIO CITY-- The Police Regional Office Cordillera (ProCor) chief, Brig. Gen. Israel Ephraim Dickson, visited the Commission on Elections (Comelec) hub during the Holy Week to assure that all security measures are in place for the arrival of the voting counting machines for the May 13 mid-term polls, a Comelec official said Tuesday.

“There was a coordination because Monday pa lang nag-uusap na kami about the security of the VCMs and other personnel at alam na rin nila kung ano ang deployment plan at kelan darating (There was coordination because as early as Monday we were already talking about the security of the VCMs and other personnel and they already know the deployment plan, when [the VCMs] will arrive),” Maria Juana Valesa, Regional Election Director of Comelec Cordillera, told a press briefing.

She said the warehouse is the provincial hub and Comelec Benguet has control over it.

Valesa said lawyer Nick Jacob, the provincial election supervisor of Benguet, coordinated with the Benguet's police provincial director about the arrival and security of the VCMs.

“It just so happened na immediate superior si RD [regional director] so I think hindi naman natin problema na pumunta din siya doon. Kami na-a-appreciate namin yung effort na nagbigay ng security doon at chi-neck yung security ng hub, okay lang po yun (RD is the immediate superior and we don’t see any problem that he visited there. We actually appreciate the effort that he gave security and even checked on the security of the hub. That was fine),” Valesa said.

Meanwhile, Dickson said when they arrived at the Comelec hub, the police personnel were already deployed in the area.

“I was there while they were unloading the materials. Hindi ko nga alam kung VCM yan or election paraphernalia kasi wala akong expertise to determine if VCM or not but andun talaga kami to check the readiness of my troops (I did not know if they were VCMs or election paraphernalia because I do not have the expertise to determine but we were there to check the readiness of my troops),” Dickson said.

Dickson added that the unloading of the VCMs can be seen as it was being done in an open area.

On April 17, Dickson, with his staff together and the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) personnel, made rounds at different bus stations as well as tourist attractions where droves of tourists were expected to arrive for the Holy Week break.

"I did not know that what I was doing had implications but I made sure that the place should be secured well based on the coordination made during the series of JSCC [joint security coordinating council] meetings conducted which was presided over by Comelec,” he said, referring to the impromptu inspection of the Comelec hub in Loakan.

Police Maj. Carolina Lacuata, ProCor information officer, said Dickson and the staff were performing a regular police function, especially considering that the Cordillera Region was on full alert status due to the recent atrocities perpetrated by the communist terrorist groups in the region and in some areas of the Visayas and Mindanao.

“Therefore, no existing Comelec laws and resolutions were violated,” Lacuata said.

During the visit to the hub, Dickson just checked on the general peace and order situation in the area and did not touch a single VCM, which were being unloaded for storage at the warehouse, according to the members of the media who covered the inspection of the deployment of troops in the area.

The Comelec is now investigating the alleged inspection of VCMs and other election paraphernalia by a policeman at the poll body's warehouse in Baguio City last week.

In a press briefing, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said he has started asking local poll body personnel about the incident.

“Nagtatanong pa lang ako doon sa Baguio City because ang pagkakaintindi ko dyan was delivery ‘yun ng VCM dun sa (I already asked the people in Baguio City because my understanding was that the VCM was being delivered in the) regional hub. This is just preliminary information. Ang alam ko, ‘yung delivery may kasamang security. So na-picturean ‘yung pulis na tinitingnan ‘yung proseso (What I know is the delivery comes with security. What was caught in the picture was the police officer who is looking at the process). The picture shows a stack of VCMs, a representative of the forwarder and the policeman,” Jimenez said.

Meanwhile, PNP spokesperson, Col. Bernard Banac said Dickson does not intend to inspect the VCMs but to ensure the safety of the facility of the warehouse.

“Well we take due notice of the announcement by the Comelec and being one of the deputized agencies of Comelec in this election period, we will ensure that this will not happen again. Our regional director in Cordillera already said there was no intention to inspect the VCMs,” Banac told reporters. 

Banac assured the public that the PNP will always comply with Comelec resolutions and all policies being implemented.

He also vowed to make sure that there will be no repeat of such incident, stressing that they will properly communicate with Comelec officials before acting on these matters. (with reports from Ferdinand Patinio, Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)

 

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https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1068561
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