The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued the guidelines in placing under its control a town, city or province affected by serIous armed threats to the holding of peaceful, orderly and credible polls.

The Comelec, led by Chairman Jose A.R. Melo said the term “serious armed threats” refers to the presence of paramilitary forces, private armies or identifiable armed bands widely perceived to have committed terrorism, fraud or other election irregularities and threaten or tend to disrupt peaceful elections in any political division, subdivision, unit or area.

When an area or a political division is placed under its control, Comelec said it will likewise take immediate and direct control and supervision over all national and local officials and employees required by law to perform duties and/or comply with certain prohibitions relative to the conduct of elections.

Comelec will likewise exercise full control and supervision over all national and local law enforcement agencies as well as military officers and men assigned or deployed in the political division, subdivision, unit or area concerned.

To ensure the conduct of free, peaceful, orderly, honest and credible elections in each area placed under its control, Comelec said a Special Task Force will be created composed of a Commissioner designated by the Commission as head, and as members, the Regional Election Director concerned, the highest-ranking office of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the highest ranking officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

At the discretion of the Task Force head or whenever required by the exigency of the service, additional members who must be Comelec lawyers may be appointed to the Special Task Force which shall supervise and control the administrative activities and transaction of local government units under its control, enforce strict compliance with the election bans and prohibitions under Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code, particularly on, but not limited to, the disbursement of public funds, the construction of public works, movements of government personnel and non-intervention of civil service officials and employees.

The Special Task Force may augment the police force and assign additional military troops whenever necessary to quell any possible outbreak of violence and maintain peace and order in the locality concerned. It can likewise relieve any police or military officer or personnel who may be found unsuitable for continuing in the present assignment in the locality concerned, reassign or confine to quarters any such member of the police or military unit.