BCPO INTENDS TO MAINTAIN GREEN CATEGORY FOR 2023 BSKE ELECTIONS

July 1, 2023 Headlines

The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) aims to maintain the green category in all 128 Barangays of Baguio City and to ensure that the community can exercise their right to vote their future leaders in a fair and peaceful manner. As the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) laid out and released the schedule of activities for the 2023 Barangay and Sanguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), the BCPO
immediately started to formulate its security plan as it is set to assume election duties as a
deputized agency of the COMELEC on October 30, 2023.

BCPO reported that no Barangay Officials were assessed to have threats in their lives in relation to the upcoming BSKE 2023 as a result of the initial threats assessment. BCPO will continuously conduct threat assessment to the 1,089 elected government officials (EGOs) who may have a potential threat in their lives and to identify areas of concern that should be given more attention by the police. Twenty-four COMELEC checkpoints will be established along the national highway in
line with the start of the nationwide gun ban.

The gun ban aims to strengthen the campaign against loose firearms and possible private armies in order to reduce election-related crimes. Also, Baguio’s Finest is set to intensify police visibility through security patrols and will work closely with the COMELEC and City Government for the strict implementation of the gun ban and liquor ban. The warns all those caught with firearms without an approved exemption from the gun ban will be arrested, even if they have a permit to carry