PRESIDENT Marcos has approved the Commission on Elections (Comelec) request for deployment of military and police forces to ensure the peaceful conduct of a today’s plebiscite in Caloocan City.
The approval was formalized via Memorandum Order No. 31, signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Aug. 27.
The plebiscite was meant to ratify the division of Barangay Bagong Silang into six separate and independent barangays.
The memorandum granted the Comelec authority to deploy soldiers and policemen, along with other law enforcement agencies to maintain peace and order during the voting.
The law enforcement agencies were directed to coordinate closely with the Comelec to ensure that the voting process is free, orderly, honest, peaceful, and credible..
The Constitution empowers the Comelec to deputize law enforcers to safeguard elections, upon the President’s approval.
