LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The cordillera stands as a model for the conduct of secure and peaceful elections as evidenced by the generally peaceful situation in the region during the May 12, 2025 med-term elections, a senior official of the Cordillera office of the Police Regional Office (PRO-Car) said Thursday evening.
PRO-CAR regional director Police Brig. Gen. David K. Peredo, Jr. said that now that the winners of the recently concluded elections had already been proclaimed, it is high time for everyone to move on with the same spirit of unity, service and excellence.
“The election in the Cordillera is generally peaceful, except in the province of Abra where we had many challenges. But in spite of the many challenges, the police was able to react and confront these challenges and manage them, giving stability that resulted to the orderly and peaceful conduct of the polls,” Peredo stressed.
He claimed that the aforesaid challenges include negative comments in the social media, many complaints that were filed and hurled against the police and even the threat of being relieved because of the difficult situation in Abra.
The police official pointed out that they did not weather and instead remained resilient because the police personnel adhered to the guidance of the higher authorities that allow them to confront the situation and that they did not buckle down to such threat of relief as the same is part of their job.
“We were vindicated in the end because the election turnout in Abra was successful as reflected by the 91 percent of voters who successfully casted their votes during the conduct of the election,” he added.
Peredo reminded the police officials and personnel to ensure security, safety and success in all their endeavors and for them to be super prepared for whatever results of their respective actions.
The PRO-CAR regional director expressed his gratitude to the various sectors that joined forces in ensuring the secure and peaceful conduct of the elections, saying that it was their strength, unity and perseverance that contributed in the said success.
He stipulated that from the beginning of the electoral process up to the final transmission of the results, the concerned sectors remained firm in the discharge of their respective duties despite being confronted with numerous challenges, some of which have tested their patience, endurance and cooperation.
According to him, the unwavering spirit of the Cordillerans allowed the PNP and the concerned sectors to rise up to the occasion and directly confront the said challenges with calm, courage and collective results.
He lauded the police personnel for their discipline, dedication and deep commitment in ensuring that voters from the different parts of the region were able to cast their votes, freely, safely and peacefully.
“Our success was not by chance, it was a result of preparation, close coordination and the strong collaboration among law enforcement agencies, the Commission on election, our local government units and most importantly, the active participation of the public, including the media,” Peredo said.
He emphasized that the successful conduct of the recent electoral process is a testament of what could be achieved when trust, transparency and teamwork guide their actions and that the concerned sectors should uphold those values that paved the way for such headway that was gained, particularly discipline, accountability and respect for the democratic voice of the people. By Dexter A. See
