FLORIDABLANCA, Pampanga – “Gusto kong siguruhin niyo na walang madidisgrasya sa ating mga kababayan ngayong panahon ng eleksyon.”
This was the directive made by Gov. Lilia “Nanay Baby” Pineda to the Pampanga PNP during a Command Conference held at the Nabuclod Eco-Tourism Park here yesterday.
Pineda made the directive as the heat of the election campaign period matches the sizzling summer heat.
“Habang governor ako, ayoko na ang Pampanga na sentro ng negosyo, na napaganda, kung saan mababait ang mga tao at nagkakaisa ay maibabalita sa buong Pilipinas na dahil lamang sa eleksyon ay may mga napapatay o nasasaktan man lamang,” Pineda said. “Dahil lamang ditto ay mawawalang bahala ang lahat ng ginawa natin para sa kabutihan ng bayan.”
The governor told policemen led by PNP provincial director Senior Supt. R’Win Pagkalinawan to establish checkpoints in boundaries where political rivalries can flare up as she cited the towns of Arayat, Sta. Ana, Mexico and Candaba as possible hot spots where candidates mount bellicose rhetorics.
“Dapat may mga checkpoints lalu na kung saan mahihigpit ang laban para makita nila na tayo ay hindi nagpapabaya (It’s only proper that we establish checkpoints especially in areas where the rivalries are tight so that they will know we are not letting our guards down),” Pineda said.
“Kung makikita ninyo na kahit malayo pa yung sasakyan na barumbado yung kanyang pag mamaneho or puru lalake na kahinahinala talagang dapat tignan ninyo at yung mga boudary-boundary tignan n’yo kung saan manit ang eleksyon (If you see that a driver of a vehicle is unruly even from a distance or that its occupants are all males and acting suspicious, you should lok and check especially in municipal boundaries where political rivalries are hot),” Pineda told policemen.
“Critical ngayon hanggang May 15. Dapat active tayo pero kailangan may disiplina tayo at hindi barumbado para hindi pagsimulan ng gulo (We should be active but we also need to discipline ourselves and not be abusive so that there won’t be any trouble),” the governor added.
Pineda admitted that she panicked when she learned that the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) and the PNP came out with a report that Pampanga was number 15 in the list of areas where possible election-related violence can happen.
She said she tried her best to reach out to some 5,000 barangay officials in the province as well as village chiefs and some 10,000 barangay tanods and directed them to keep the peace.
She said she is constantly meeting with barangay officials so that peace and order can be maintained as well as holding command conferences. “Effective pala ito,” Pineda said as she thanked policemen for their efforts in keeping peace and order and their full cooperation.
“Ang wish ko na lang ngayon ay maipakita ko na hindi magulo ang Pampanga na walang masasaktan sa mga kandidato apti na sa mga supporters nila (My only wish is that Pampanga will remain peaceful and nobody will get hurt from among the candidates and their supporters),” Pineda said.
