Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 7) — The threat assessment on areas with what police call “intense political rivalry” will determine whether or not more personnel will be deployed to address violence, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday.
The PNP said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the police to determine hotspots where attacks, particularly against elected officials, could happen, the latest of which was the assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo in broad daylight last weekend.
“Kasama po yan sa ginagawang threat assessment ng PNP sa ngayon at hinihintay lang na makumpleto ito. Ito yung magiging giya ng PNP kung kailangang magdagdag ng additional personnel sa mga areas na may namo-monitor tayo na intense political rivalry at iba pang mga presence ng mga local terrorist groups at mga armadong grupo para kahit papano ay ma-stabilize dun sa mga areas na ma-identify na hotspots,” PNP spokesperson PCol Jean Fajardo said in a media briefing.
[Translation: That is included in the threat assessment being done by the PNP and we are just waiting for it to be completed. This will be the PNP’s guide to see whether additional personnel will be needed in the areas where intense political rivalry is monitored, as well as the presence of local terrorist and armed groups so we can somehow stabilize these areas.]
The PNP said it beefed up police presence in Negros Oriental to maintain peace and order.
