PNP going high-tech to monitor elections

May 7, 2019

Philippine National Police ( PNP) General Oscar Albayalde on Tuesday said they have activated their National Election Monitoring Action Center (NEMAC) where officers can see the situation in an area and notify personnel.

“It will give us real-time situation on what is happening on the ground even the delivery of VCMs (vote counting machines) in different polling centers,” Albayalde said.

“We will just click the polling center and we will know who is deploy there and we can call directly to that police officer,” he said.

The PNP chief said they can monitor the start of voting at polling centers and when it ends.

“We will also know if the polling centers are closed and the ballot boxes are delivered back to the treasurer’s office so you don’t have to go to the locations anymore,” said Albayalde.

He added around 60 personnel will be assigned at NEMAC.

Albayade, who led the activation of the center, said they are taking advantage of technology.

“Our monitoring improves everytime because of... technology that is available. We are also using even social media. We take advantage of the technology,” he said.

“Before we only call. We have NEMAC but kind of old age. Sometimes you cannot call the personnel in the exact area,” he added.

Albayalde said this is also the best time for police officers who always use their cellphones to give information on NEMAC.

For those areas where internet signal is not steady, Albayalde said deployed personnel will report to their police stations to give updates.

He said election hotspots now number 946 and areas under Comelec control are three, adding Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental where political rivalry is intense. Ella Dionisio/DMS