Over 650k Poll Materials Removed in ‘Oplan Baklas’: NCRPO

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has removed more than 650,000 election campaign materials in Metro Manila as part of the ‘Oplan Baklas’.

Major Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said police officers helped remove 654,859 election materials in places outside common poster areas designated by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

“Whether or not the candidates won the Monday’s elections, they should all serve as role models in cleaning up the campaign materials which came from them in the first place,” he said in a interview.

“Let us do away with the bad practice in the past of just leaving behind the campaign materials in areas where they placed them after the elections. These campaign materials came from them so I think it would not be too much for them to take the initiative of taking these campaign materials back and disposing them properly,” he stressed.

Eleazar said that they are now coordinating with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for the final conduct of the operation.

The goal, according to Eleazar, is to clean up the entire Metro Manila of campaign posters and other materials.

Eleazar said that he is planning to tap policemen to assist the MMDA in removing the campaign posters.

As such, he said he is enjoining the candidates to join them.

Meanwhile, Eleazar commended his men for intensified security and safety measures that resulted in the generally peaceful 2019 mid-term elections.
“I would like to express my gratitude to our policemen, the AFP, other security agencies and volunteers for their vigilance during the election period. Our collaborative efforts and sacrifices contributed to the success of the Midterm Election”, the Metro Manila top cop said.

“I extend my great appreciation to the public for their overflowing support and cooperation. Our desire to vote and be lead by responsible leaders was achieved satisfactorily,” he added.

During the liquor ban, authorities arrested a total of 411 suspects who sold, furnished, offered, bought, served, and took liquor. Apprehended suspects are still under the custody of the arresting units.

For this year’s elections, NCRPO strictly implemented “Oplan Kontra Bigay” or Anti-Vote Buying and Vote Selling Campaign. The alleged vote buying incidents uncovered by NCRPO police officers garnered a total of 136 arrested persons wherein 84 were vote buyers and 52 vote sellers.

Over 39,000 checkpoints were established in Metro Manila in compliance with the election gun ban, which resulted in the arrest of 1,158 violators.

He said a total of 1,129 operations by law enforcers resulted in the confiscation of 663 firearms from January 13 to May 14 while 39 persons were arrested during checkpoints and 1,119 persons were arrested in other incidents. (PNA)