405 policemen deployed for Zamboanga poll duty

ZAMBOANGA CITY – At least 405 policemen undergoing specialized training have been deployed to different parts of the Zamboanga Peninsula for election duties.The police teams include 241 Basic Internal Security Operation Course (BISOC) trainees, 100 Public Safety Basic Recruit Course (PSBRC) trainees, and 64 Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF).The police trainees were turned over Thursday by the Regional Training Center to the Police Regional Office-Zamboanga Peninsula (PRO-9) as part of the security preparations in the region for the May 9 national and local elections.Maj. Shellamie Chang, PRO-9 information officer, said Friday the policemen will be deployed in Isabela City, Zamboanga Sibugay, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga del Norte, and to the RSSF.“They are now in their respective places of assignment,” Chang said.“The RSSF personnel will be a ready force to be deployed in areas where the trouble may arise on election day,” she added.The 64 RSSF members—composed of three police commissioned officers and 61 non-commissioned officers—are personnel assigned at Camp Col. Romeo Abendan, home of the PRO-9 headquarters in Barangay Mercedes here.Brig. Gen. Franco Simborio, PRO-9 director, reminded the policemen to remain apolitical in carrying out their tasks.Meanwhile, Chang said that the Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJCC) has yet to review and update the data of the places tagged as election areas of concern in the region.The RJCC has earlier classified 15 areas in the region under the red category; orange, 14; and yellow, 15.The red category are election areas of grave concern, while the orange and yellow categories are election areas of immediate concern and election areas of concern, respectively. (PNA)