FILE PHOTO: President Rodrigo Duterte | SIMEON CELI JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
BULACAN, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte warns all election candidates not to terrorize or harass the voters in the upcoming 2019 midterm election.
‘Ke kasama kita sa gobyerno, o kasama kita sa partido o kalaban kita sa pulitika, do not terrorize, do not intimidate, do not create fear to the voters…kapag ginawa ninyo iyan ako mismo ang pupunta doon. At ako mismo ang mag-aresto sa iyo,” the President warned.
He also warned soliders and police not to favor any political candidate as expected from members of the government forces.
“Do not take sides, either for or against my party, huwag kayong makialam. Huwag kayong magkampanya at do not favor any candidate…that is the mandate of the Constitution and we will stick by it,” he said at an event in Bulacan on Monday (December 10).
Likewise, the President has ordered the military and the police to strictly implement the Alunan Doctrine which limits the number of armed guards for each election candidate.
‘Stick to the rule of two security in uniform. Two security lang dahil three would be, according to the Alunan Doctrine, three is already a private army. Kapag three, more than three, kunin mo yung baril, arestuhin mo. Dalhin mo sa station,” he stressed.
The Joint National Peace and Order Council has identified 15 areas that are considered election hotspots prior to the midterm polls – 9 municipalities in the Autonomous Region In Muslim Mindanao (ARMM); two in Region 5; and one each in Regions 2, 4a, 9 and 10.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Spokesperson PCSupt. Benigno Durana Jr. said they are expecting the list to change as the day of the election is getting closer.
“The level of security threat may change overtime until the day of election mismo,” Durana concluded. – Marje Pelayo (with reports from Nestro Torres / Lea Ylagan)
The post Duterte warns election candidates: ‘Do not terrorize the voters.” appeared first on UNTV News.