33K police vote absentee ahead of May 12 polls

Around 33,000 policemen are set to cast their votes in local absentee voting ahead of the May 12 midterm polls.

As of Tuesday, nearly 13,000 police personnel have already voted after two days of local absentee voting (LAV), with PNP information chief Col. Randulf Tuaño reporting that 61.52% of those at national headquarters and 60.20% in regional offices have cast their ballots.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil emphasized the importance of law enforcers exercising their right to vote during a press conference at Camp Crame on Monday.

Local absentee voting continues until Wednesday, allowing frontline government workers to vote ahead of time without disrupting election day duties.

The PNP has tallied 35 validated election-related incidents (ERIs) across various regions and pledged intensified security measures such as checkpoints and patrols to prevent disruptions during the polls.

PNP chief Marbil assured that the force is fully prepared to secure the elections with personnel and logistical resources in place, while also supporting Comelec's anti-vote buying initiative.