All is set for Maguindanao, Cotabato City filing of COCs
Breaking News • 15:18 PM Mon Oct 12, 2015
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
COTABATO CITY – Police and poll officials are all set for today’s
start of filing of certificates of candidacy of those aspiring for next year’s national
and local elections here.
Senior Supt. Rex Anongos, Cotabato City police director, said
police and members of Army Special Forces have been deployed at the city
Commission on Elections Office along Roales Street, Cotabato City.
We are all ready, police have been deployed to ensure orderly
filing activity,” Anongos said.
Cotabato City election officer Atty. Mike Ignes said all his
staff members are already in their respective stations as early as 7 a.m.
Filing starts at 8 a.m. today until 5 p.m. The same schedule will be followed from today
to Friday, October 16.
Registration and re-validation of voters' registration have been suspended until October 16. List resumes on October 17, the Comelec said. We have designed steps so that everybody will be comfortable,”
Ignes said, adding only candidates and their immediate families are allowed to
enter the Comelec office.
I appeal to the supporters of candidates to cooperate and obey
traffic re-routing rules,” Ignes said.
For candidates in Maguindanao, Anongos said traffic flows have
been re-routed along Teodoro V. Juliano where the provincial Comelec office is
located.
Like in Cotabato City Comelec office, only candidates and immediate
family members are allowed inside the office,” Anongos said.
Army Special Forces members and PNP Public Safety Battalion (PNP-PSB)
have been deployed to ensure orderly conduct of election related activity.
Senior Supt. Nickson Muksan, Maguindanao police director, said
all roads leading to Cotabato City have been secured by Maguindanao PNP and Philippine
Army troopers.
This is to ensure all candidates are safe while on their way to
the Comelec office which is located in Cotabato City,” Muksan said.
We have taken steps to prevent a repeat of the Maguindanao
massacre,” Muksan added, referring to the infamous Maguindanao massacre in 2009
which left 58 people dead, including 32 media persons, who were all on their
way to file the candidacy of then Buluan town vice mayor and now Maguindanao
Gov. Esmael Toto Mangudadatu.