PNP expects BOL plebiscite to be peaceful: Albayalde

January 21, 2019

At least two million registered voters trooped polling centers to 2,572 barangays in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Monday for the plebiscite for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

In a statement, Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde said they expect the plebiscite to be peaceful.

"Based on the assessment of the PNP Regional Director of ARMM ( Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao)," Police Chief Superintendent Graciano Mijares, the BOL plebiscite is expected to be peaceful because majority of the electoral is in favor of the BOL.

Albayalde said 6,698 police personnel is deployed to provide security and police assistance to 2,165,316 registered voters.

He said the 9,907 PNP contingent for the plebiscite is backed up by two battalions from the PNP Special Action Force and the Regional Mobile force of the Calabarzon and Central Luzon police office.

There are 10,441 troops from five Armed Forces of the Philippines Task Forces stationed in Mindanao, with reserve forces from other military units, added Albayalde. DMS

‘Amang’ strands more 1,000 passengers in ports

More than 1,000 passengers are stranded as trips were cancelled in ports areas affected by Tropical Depression ‘Amang’ on Monday.

As of 8 am, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said total of 1,757 passengers, 347 rolling cargoes, 55 vessels and 11 motorboats were not allowed to leave in the areas of Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Eastern Visayas and Southern Visayas.

In a report, the National Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) recorded a total of 2,678 families or 11,153 persons were pre-emptively evacuated in province s of Albay, Camarines Sur, Masbate, Eastern Samar, Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.

As of 10 am, Amang was last spotted by the state weather bureau at 40 km north-northeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar with maximum winds of 45 kph and gusts of up to 60 kph while moving north at the speed of 10 kph.

The state weather bureau said e storm warning signals over Southern Leyte, Bohol, Northern Cebu, Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Island have been lifted but Sorsogon,Masbate including Ticao Island, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran and Leyte remain under tropical storm signal number one. Robina Asido/DMS