“The result of the last election is one of the most peaceful that we have encountered in Philippine history,” PNP Officer-In-Charge PLtGen Vicente D. Danao Jr.
The Philippine National and Local Elections took place on May 9, 2022, for executive and legislative branches of the government in the national, provincial, and local, except for the barangay officials. It opens for the position of President; Vice President; 12 seats for senators; 316 seats for the House of Representatives; 81 each for governors and vice governors; 782 seats for provincial board members in all provinces; 146 each for city mayors and vice mayors; and 1,650 seats for city councilors in all cities; 1,488 each for municipal mayors and vice mayors; and 11,908 seats for municipal councilors in all municipalities.
Thus, Philippine National Police was on guard to make National and Local Elections 2022 the most harmonious one.
PNP gave its assurance to the public not just of its security but of its logistics and resources in performing election duties. These included sending-off transportation, equipment for election security operations, communication, and other mission-essential equipment ahead of election day to improve the capability of police units on the ground.
When then PNP Chief PGen Dionardo B. Carlos personally had witnessed a showdown inspection and logistical readiness test of police resources, he had ensured that enough policemen and women will be deployed to polling precincts to guarantee the safety of the voting public, election officials, and to enforce minimum health protocols.
With this goal, a total of 18,672 personnel from PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Department of Education (DepEd), and other concerned agencies nationwide were deployed in support to the government’s campaign for a secure, accurate, free, and fair, election during the simultaneous 2022 National and Local Elections. A multi-agency send-off and turn-over ceremony was held at the PNP National Headquarters in Camp BGen Rafael T Crame, Quezon City, on May 4, 2022.
Even after the election date, OIC PLtGEn Danao instructed all Police Regional Directors to ensure that all PNP security personnel will remain at their posts until after all election equipment, documents and personnel have been withdrawn from the polling centers. Carlos’ compulsory retirement took effect on his birthdate, May 8, 2022, a day before the elections; Danao was appointed by PRRD as Officer-in-Charge.
On May 24, 2022, notwithstanding the reported failure of elections in 14 barangays in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslin Mindanao (BARMM), COMELEC held special elections in Barangay Ragayan in the municipality of Butig; Barangay Pindolonan in the municipality of Binidayan; and 12 barangays, namely: Tangcal, Datumanong, Guiarong, Baguiangun, Wago, Malaganding, Gadongan, Riantaran, Pagalamatan, Mindamunag, Paigoday-pimbataan, and Metadicop all in the municipality of Tubaran, Lanao Del Sur.
A total of 859 PNP personnel and 587 AFP personnel were deployed to ensure the conduct of the said election, including 53 personnel from the Regional Headquarters, PRO BAR who were appointed as Board of Election Inspectors (BEI), and select PNP personnel equipped with Body-Worn Cameras (BWC) to ensure transparency and to monitor events in the area.
The said special election has been peaceful and no chaos has taken place: violent incidents and any illegal activity due to the intensified security measures implemented by the Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO BAR) and other PNP units and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
According to the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management (PNP-DIDM), 16 validated election-related incidents, and 19 suspected-related incidents were recorded from January 9 to May 9, 2022, where PLtGen Danao has ordered the concerned unit commanders for the immediate resolution of these kinds of incidents and the filing of appropriate charges against the identified suspects.
OIC PNP noted that during the 2022 election period, only 27 validated Election-Related Incidents were recorded, and the statistics show relatively lower crime incidents compared to the 2010 and 2016 Philippine National and Local Elections where PNP tallied 166 and 133 validated election-related incidents, respectively.
He further explained that the crime environment during the 2022 election period showed a significant decrease of 59,115 or 41.75% in the total Peace and Order Index (POI), compared with the period in 2016; and the number of focus crimes also went down by 42,616 or 73.98%.
This historic election comes along with iconic winners elected by the populace. Despite relating his campaign to his father’s legacy, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. known as “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., claimed victory as the president of the Philippines.
With the 98% of the votes counted, “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., called the “Tiger of the North” or “Tigre ng Norte” received 31.6 million votes compared to his closest rival, and outgoing Vice President Leni Robredo, who only got about 14 million plus votes.
“Bongbong” Marcos Jr’s running mate for vice president, Sara Duterte Carpio, also known as the “Eagle of Davao” or “Agila ng Davao,” and the daughter of populist outgoing leader Rodrigo R. Duterte, won by a landslide. The number of 32 million votes or 61.4% of voters was the largest given by Filipinos in Philippine history, bigger than Marcos’ votes.
In these historic figures, the people have shown their unity in appointing leaders that they could trust and can count on in making the Philippines and the lives of most Filipinos more progressive: Marcos’ and Duterte Carpio’s “Uniteam.”
Sara Duterte’s inauguration was on June 19, 2022, as the country’s 15th vice president, and the youngest to have made it, attended by President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family, her father President Duterte and family, local and national lawmakers, foreign ambassadors, and various Filipino artists, witnessed by a huge crowd at the San Pedro Square, Davao City. Duterte will begin her term as vice president noon of June 30, right after Robredo steps down from office, the office where she plans to temporarily occupy, the Quezon City Reception House, which was also Robredo’s home for six years. In particular she will use said place as Secretary of the Department of Education.
During her oath-taking before Supreme Court Justice Ramon Paul Hernando, her father, President Duterte, stood behind her. Another first for the country. Sara Duterte’s election as vice president made it for the third time a woman is elected to the country’s second-highest post. Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and outgoing Vice President Leni Robredo were the 1st and the 2nd lady to make it as vice president.
In addition, she is the first vice president to be elected who is the daughter of a sitting President; we repeat, the youngest vice president in history, and the first vice president from Davao. Her victory with Marcos is the third tandem for the two highest positions in the country in the post-EDSA 1 revolution. The first was Corazon Aquino and Doy Laurel in 1986; and the second was Arroyo and De Castro in 2004. And after 18 years again history repeats itself.
The inauguration of VP Sara Duterte-Carpio was a historic day for the Dabawenyos, where an estimated 20,000 witnessed the milestone. Security Cluster made sure that no untoward incident will happen. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of all in ensuring the safety of everybody.
In an interview with the City Information Office, Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) Head, Angel Sumagaysay congratulated the Dabawenyos on the successful, orderly, and peaceful inauguration with no incidents of crime or injuries reported at the event. He acknowledged the close coordination and open communication lines between all security units in the city, including the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Police Regional Office XI under the leadership of the Regional Director Police Brigadier General Benjamin H Silo Jr.
PNP is all set for the incoming inauguration of President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. at the National Museum of the Philippines on June 30, 2022, as PNP OIC inspected the security preparations at the said museum, together with PNP Directorate for Operations head PMGen Valeriano de Leon and other ranking police officials.
At least 7,000 police officers will be deployed to secure Marcos’ oath-taking as the country’s next president.
“We would like to assure our incoming president that on behalf of the 225,000 officers and men of PNP, our forces, are ready for the inauguration. Security measures will be tight,” OIC PLtGen Danao said.
According to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año, there are no perceived security threats to the inauguration; and said that they are fully prepared. Security drills were also conducted ahead of the inauguration even if there are no perceived security threats, except for some reported protest rallies that may be held by some groups.
The winning senators were proclaimed by Comelec Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan based in the ranking of their victory, namely: Robin Padilla, Loren Legarda, Raffy Tulfo, Sherwin Gatchalian, Chiz Escudero, Mark Villar, Alan Peter Cayetano, Migz Zubiri, Joel Villanueva, JV Ejercito, Risa Hontiveros and Jinggoy Estrada, at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City on Wednesday afternoon, May 18, 2022.
PLtGen Danao extends his sincerest gratitude to all who comprise security component, with 214,485 law enforcement muscle of COMELEC for a job well done, especially to all the gallant PNP members. Further, PNP also mobilized a total of 178,531 Force Multipliers from all over the country. We thank them also for their crucial role in linking PNP to the community, and supporting the management and neutralization of election-related conflicts on the ground.
“But the mission of PNP does not end there. From here, PNP is moving on to the unfinished business of implementing the requirements of the criminal justice system, particularly to violations of laws committed during the election period,” PLtGen Danao emphasized.
PNP filed 3,436 cases against persons arrested for violation of the gun ban, liquor ban, and for vote buying and vote selling. As the election period officially concluded on midnight of June 8th, it had accounted for a total of 3,829 arrested persons for various violations of COMELEC Resolutions from January 9 through June 8, 2022. Those arrested comprise 3,651 violators of the gun ban; 128 violators of the liquor ban; and 50 suspects in election fraud for alleged vote-buying or selling.
Among the arrested gun ban violators were 50 police and military personnel; 61 security guards; 3,513 civilians; and 27 others. During the entire 152-day election Gun Ban period, PNP confiscated an assortment of 2,812 firearms; 17,401 rounds of assorted live ammunition; 140 explosive devices; and 1,165 bladed deadly weapons based on records culled by the PNP Command Center.
“While it is rightful to declare the 2022 elections as generally peaceful and orderly, the law must be applied to all those who willfully violated election laws through prohibited acts,” PNP Officer-in-Charge, Police Lieutenant General Vicente D Danao Jr. said.
