PNP begins preps for 2025 polls amid attacks vs local officials

With the upcoming polls more than a year away, the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday said it has already started preparations for the security of the 2025 National and Local Elections amid the series of attacks against local officials.

PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said police officials already met recently with Chairperson George Garcia and Commissioner Aimee Ferolino of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“As to the security preparations po ng PNP dito sa nalalapit na 2025 mid-[term] elections ay nagsisimula na po tayo,” Fajardo said in a press briefing.

(As for the security preparations of the PNP for the upcoming 2025 mid-[term] elections, we are already starting.)

“Noong February 21 to 23 ay nagkaroon na po ng mga meetings. ‘Yung technical working group ay nag-meeting na rin po with Comelec officials led by Chairman Garcia and Commissioner Ferolino diyan po sa Sofitel Hotel in preparation nga po dito sa 2025 elections,” she added.

(From February 21 to 23, we already had meetings. The technical working group also met with Comelec officials led by Chairman Garcia and Commissioner Ferolino at the Sofitel Hotel in preparation for the 2025 elections.)

During the meeting, Fajardo said the PNP made recommendations to the Comelec to reclassify some areas of concern.

Recently, a series of attacks against local government officials were reported in different parts of the country.

In the fatal shooting of a chairman and a kagawad in Barangay Daja Diot, San Isidro, Leyte last week, Fajardo said the police are looking into a possible political angle in the investigation.

“Maliban po doon sa apat na suspects na nagkaroon po ng actual involvement doon sa pamamaril, they are looking at the possibility na may mga nag-serve po na mga spotter, at least two. Meron na po silang dalawang persons of interest na tinitignan dito po sa kasong ito,” she said.

(Aside from the four suspects who had actual involvement in the shooting, they are looking at the possibility that there were two spotters. They are looking into two persons of interest in this case.)

“Tinitignan po nila iyong possible na political angle dito po sa kaso na ito (They are looking at the possible political angle in this case),” she added.

Also, in Zamboanga City on Sunday, an unidentified gunman killed a barangay chairman and wounded another barangay official.

However, Fajardo clarified that it was still too early for the PNP to say that these cases were already a “prelude” to incidents of election-related violence in the 2025 polls.

“If you will ask us, ito po [ba] ay prelude na po dito sa mga padating po na 2025 elections, it’s too premature for us to connect at this early dahil ongoing pa po yung investigation with respect to these two cases,” she said.

(If you will ask us if this is a prelude to the upcoming 2025 elections, it’s too premature for us to connect at this early because the investigation is still ongoing with respect to these two cases.) — VDV, GMA Integrated News