The alumni of the Philippine National Police Academy ARMM Chapter jointly with the Lions Club of Cotabato City, the Rural Health Office of South Upi and the Philippine National Police in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao [PNP ARMM] provided food stuff and medical services last August 16, 2008 to the depressed families of Brgy Kuya, South Upi, Maguindanao that was devastated by the tropical storm “Frank” last June 2008.

About 140 families were given food stuff like rice, noodles and canned goods. The medical team headed by Dra Maria Christina Bondoc, the assigned doctor of South Upi provided consultation and medicines to the affected families mostly children numbering to more than 60 children who were suffering from cough and colds, urinary tract infections and skin diseases and more than 50 adults were treated and given medication and medicines courtesy of IPHO Maguindanao. Joining the group of doctors, nurses and midwives were the medical team of PNP ARMM headed by PINSP JUBELEE U DOTOSME who also assisted during the medical consultation and treatment.

The relief operations and medical mission was an unforgettable experienced for the members of the joint relief and medical mission considering the risk, effort and the opportunity to be with the most devastated people in Brgy Kuya, South Upi wherein the road is hardly passable because it was washed-out by the flash flood but the eagerness of the people to receive attention from this group of lowly person who endures the risk and effort just to deliver services to the depressed people is enough motivation for them. “Ours is to Serve and Protect” according to the members of the PNPA Alumni of ARMM.

The relief and medical mission ended around 6:00 P.M. of that day but the rugged road hardened the group to reach Poblacion Timanan, South Upi around 10:00 P.M. though the distance from Brgy Kuya is barely about 14 kilometers away. It was an experience of walking, driving and pushing our vehicles just to get-away with the muddy and rugged road connecting South Upi, Maguindanao and Lebak of Sultan Kudarat province according to PSUPT TELLO.

Joining the group of PNPA Alumni are the members of the Tagapagkalinga Class of 1991 headed by PSUPT TELLO and PSUPT OSCAR NANTES, members of Tagapaglunsad Class of 1993 are PSUPT DANILO BACAS and PSUPT CONSTANCIO CHIANYOG JR, membbers of Patnubay Class of 1995 are PSUPT ARDEN AMOGOD and PCINSP ROMMEL VILLAMOR, members of Kabalikat Class of 1998 are PCINSP DEGAY nad PINSP BAGSINGIT others in attendance are the members of the Sinag-Laya Class of 2002, Tagapagsanggalang Class of 2004, Marangal Class of 2005, Bagsay-Lahi Calssof 2006, Sansinirangan Class of 2007 and Oman Silang Class of 2008.

Police Regional Office Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao [PRO ARMM] has finalized its plan for the forthcoming ARMM Election. After series of coordinating conferences conducted at the different areas in ARMM attended by different Election stakeholders, finally, more than 500 police personnel from the Regional Mobile Group (RMG) and Regional Headquarters Service Group (RHSG) of PNP ARMM were dispatched yesterday and deployed to augment the 396 organic PNP personnel of Maguindanao Police Provincial Office [PPO].

These PNP personnel were dispatched to secure the Polling Centers where the Direct Recording Electronic (DRE) Machines were distributed and will be used during the election.

In other provinces of ARMM like in Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Shariff Kabunsuan and Lanao Del Sur, the Optimal Mark Reader (OMR) Machines and other Election paraphernalia were already distributed in all counting and canvassing areas and at the Provincial Capitols. Our PNP personnel together with our AFP counterpart already secured these areas in order to ensure that these machines as well as the election paraphernalia will not be tainted with anomaly.

 
PCSUPT JOEL R GOLTIAO, the Regional Director of PRO ARMM stressed that more than 6,300 PNP personnel will be utilized plus an augmentation troops from other PNP Regional Commands in Mindanao of more than 600 personnel are coming over to help secure the 1,585 polling centers, 3,314 machines, more than 20,000 BEIs and machine operators and more than 1.5 million voters in ARMM in order to have an Honest, Orderly and Peace Election comes August 11, 2008.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines also expressed their all out support to the upcoming conduct of ARMM Election. 

Since the start of the Election period, no untoward incident was monitored nor reported related to the forthcoming election. This is by far the result of the concerted effort of the PNP and AFP as well as the public to make possible the conduct of honest, orderly, peaceful and credible ARMM Election.

The commission on Elections has placed 278 areas of “immediate concern” under the tight watch of the Autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao police and the military, less than half of the “hotspots” listed during the ARMM’s 2001 and 2005 regional polls.

Re-electionist gov. Datu Zaldy Ampatuan meanwhile announced his support for President Arroyo’s endorsement to postpone the elections, but said he will not budge from his bid for a second term if Congress fails to act on the postponement.

But Speaker Pospero nograles acknowledged that even if the house decides to postpone the Aug 11 ARMM Elections, any deferment would still need Senate approval.

Superintendent Danny Bacas, spokesman and operations director of the ARMM police said the areas of “immediate concern” listed by the Comelec are barangays where armed groups are present and capable of creating trouble during the election.

These are places where political clans are locked in deep-seated animosity and scenes of violent election-related hostilities during previous local and regional elections.

There are 2,740 barangays in ARMM, which has political and administrative jurisdiction over the cities of Marawi and Lamitan, and the scattered provinces of Shariff Kabunsuan, Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-tawi.

Almost a thousand barangays were listed as “areas of immediate concern” during the region’s 2001 and 2005 elections.

“Our regional and provincial directors are convinced we will have peaceful elections,” Bacas said.

He said the ARMM police will continue to perform their election-related missions under the guidance of the Comelec, unless ordered to desist on the basis of a law postponing the political exercise.

He said, “areas of concern” are not deemed as hostile like those considered “areas of immediate concern.”

“We owe this feat to the extensive cooperation of the Regional Peace and Order Council, the Comelec, the ARMM police and its counterparts in the military,” Bacas said.

(Published on July 26, 2008 Philippine Star) 

With all the six provincial governors, over 100 city and municipal mayors, plus congressmen of the Authonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) backing the re- election of incumbent ARMM Gov.Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan, the regional Philippine National Police (PNP) outfit sees a peacful political exercise on August 11.