Commission on Elections 11 (Comelec 11) Assistant Regional Election Director lawyer Gay Enumerables confirmed on Wednesday that Comelec 11 did not receive any request for the transfer of the more than 200 police personnel from the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) to be deployed in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliamentary Elections.
“Wala mi kadawat. Kasi pag transfer o detail, kailangan talaga (dumaan sa Comelec). But so far sa pagka karon wala mi nadawat. If its emergency kasi like they will be used as poll watchers doon sa BARMM, Comelec will know kasi sila man kaha ang mag duty didto. But so far sa pagka karon wala,” Enumerables said during the Davao City Peace and Security Press Corps media briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel.
This developed following DCPO acting Director Col. Hansel Marantan’s reaction to a report from a Davao-based newspaper that 238 police personnel from DCPO are subject to medical examination for their deployment to BARMM elections.
In a statement, Marantan emphasized that the 238 police personnel mentioned in the article are scheduled to undergo medical examinations on February 19, 2025, as part of DCPO’s routine wellness and health program.
Marantan added that the primary purpose of these medical evaluations is to safeguard the well-being of the DCPO personnel and guarantee their fitness for duty, particularly in preparation for major events such as the upcoming National and Local Elections and the BARMM Parliamentary Elections.
Enumerables underscored that Comelec will be notified of any requests for election deployment.
“Ang pag serve kasi sa election dili lang kay sige kuhaon ka namo kay mag serve ka by anybody, it has to be with Comelec, kay ang Comelec man ang magbuot kung kinsa ang mag serve sa election kay kami (Comelec) man ang mag manage sa elections. On the part of DCPO, it will coordinate with Comelec 11. But if galing sa taas, Comelec main ang order,” she said.
Meanwhile, Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11) Director Brigadier General Leon Victor Rosete clarified that the conduct of medical evaluations for all deployable personnel was to assess their health conditions and ensure they are physically and mentally fit for deployment.
Rosete said this process aligns with the Addendum to the Health Service Implementation Plan (IMPLAN) on the PNP Command Memorandum Circular (CMC) Guidelines and Procedures in securing the 2025 national and local elections and BARMM Parliamentary Election.
“We emphasize that the memo is not a reassignment or transfer of personnel from DCPO to BARMM. The PNP is committed to its duty of ensuring a safe, secure, fair, and transparent 2025 election,” he said.
