SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – The Antique Provincial Police Office (APPO) is bracing for the 2025 National and Local Elections (NLE) aside from its regular mandated task to maintain peace and order and public safety in the province.
Lt. Col. Angelo Pueblos, APPO officer in charge, said during an interview Thursday that they are collaborating with various government agencies, particularly with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), with the election period and gun ban already to start on January 12.
“We are strengthening our forces by requesting early the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 for augmentation of personnel,” he said.
He said that the APPO has only 1,075 police personnel. They would need 700 more for deployment in the 18 municipalities during the NLE.
He also said that based on their previous experience with the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election on October 30, 2023, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), together with the Municipal DRRMOs and other volunteer groups, had been a big help in ensuring a smooth, orderly, and peaceful election that they will again be requesting their support.
“We could not yet name the municipalities to be placed under the areas of concern in Antique as we are still to conduct validation,” Pueblos said.
He said the Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting is still to be scheduled early this year for the validation of the areas of concern and other preparations to be undertaken for the election.
Meanwhile, Pueblos appealed to the local aspirants to let the voice of the people prevail in the coming election.
“The APPO wishes for a peaceful election this 2025, so we appeal to the political aspirants to just abide by the Comelec resolutions and not violate the prohibited acts,” he said. (PNA)