Antique: Over 400 police personnel arrived in Antique as an augmentation force to ensure the peaceful conduct of the May 12 National and Local Elections (NLE) 2025. Lt. Col. Willy Diel, Antique Provincial Police Office (APPO) information officer, said in an interview Wednesday that the over 400 police personnel reported to their respective assigned police stations following their arrival on Tuesday evening.

According to Philippines News Agency, the 400 police personnel will help secure the election paraphernalia, as well as assist the municipal police stations in the maintenance of peace and order. Diel mentioned that the augmentation was assigned to the 17 municipal police stations except Antique’s capital town, San Jose de Buenavista, which has enough police personnel to secure the election. The officers came from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion, Guimaras Provincial Police Office (PPO), and the Public Safety Basic Recruit Course Masigtalas Class of 2024.

Meanwhile, APPO Director Col. Lea Rose Pe±a, in a press statement furnished to PNA, issued a strong directive for all police personnel “to remain apolitical, adhere to non-partisanship, and to remain neutral” during the election. Pe±a also underscored the APPO’s unwavering commitment to ensuring a peaceful, orderly, and secure election process. She emphasized that the Antique police force is dedicated to serving and protecting all citizens, regardless of their political affiliations.

Pe±a further called upon the community to actively participate in maintaining peace and order by cooperating fully with the police in their anti-criminality efforts. Citizens are encouraged to report any suspicious activities or threats to the safety and security of the elections. “Our (police) primary duty is to maintain peace and order, and we will not tolerate any actions that could undermine the fairness and credibility of the elections,” Pe±a added.