Officials of the Commission on Elections, the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army in Negros Oriental yesterday vowed to work together to ensure honest, peaceful and orderly barangay elections on October 25.

The three agencies responsible for the presidential and national polls in the province on May 10 announced that they are reconvening the Joint Security Control Center.

Provincial Election Supervisor Eddie Aba said that, regardless of what it will be named, the JSCC will again take the lead in the preparation and implementation of laws, guidelines and resolutions pertaining to the barangay and SK polls.

He said the Oct. 25 elections for various positions for the barangays and the Sangguniang Kabataan will push through and expressed confidence in the leadership of provincial police director Senior Supt. Augusto Marquez Jr. and Col. Manuel Luis Ochotorena, commander of the 302nd brigade, to ensure the best results on Oct. 25.

Marquez said they are reconvening even without the directive from higher headquarters to start identifying possible critical areas in the barangay elections.

For now, the JSCC will use its existing records on the election watch list areas, but Marquez said there will be regular meetings and consultations between the PNP and Philippine Army on contingency measures.

Ochotorena also assured that there will be enough military troops to assist the police in securing the barangay polls.

Marquez said that, so far, there are no indications of the presence of partisan armed groups in Negros Oriental.

The two groups that were identified in Canlaon City and Tanjay City during the campaign for the May 10 polls had not even surfaced, perhaps due to the JSCC’s well-crafted security contingency plan, he said.

PNP-AFP-COMELEC checkpoints will be established once the 45-day gun ban period takes effect on Sept. 10, he said.

The JSCC will also coordinate closely with the Diocesan Electoral Board.*JFP

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